Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack Jr., better known by
the stage name Dr. John (also Dr. John Creaux), is an American
singer/songwriter, pianist and guitarist whose music combines blues, boogie
woogie and rock and roll.
After his professional music career began in New Orleans in
1950s, Dr John concentrated on guitar as his primary instrument, gigged with
regional bands and scored his first hit with instrumental Storm Warning.
However, his playing career came to an end when his left ring finger was
injured by a gunshot during a fight. After the injury, Dr John took up bass
guitar, before making the piano his primary instrument.
By the late 1960s, he went on to become a session musician
for the likes of Sonny and Cher and Canned Heat amongst others. It was his own
solo career, beginning in 1968 with his debut album Gris Gris, that gained him
the attention he deserved. The album, combining voodoo rhythms and chants with
the New Orleans music tradition, was an instant success and Rolling Stone
Magazine have since ranked it in their top 500 albums of all time. Along with
Gris-Gris, Dr. John is perhaps best known for his recordings during 1972-1974.
1972's Dr. John's Gumbo, covering several New Orleans R&B classics, is
considered a cornerstone in New Orleans music.
Since his heyday, Dr John has continued to write and record
for various artists and movies soundtracks and in 2008 he was inducted into the
Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
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