The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee and six-time Grammy winner passed away on June 6, two years after stepping back from the spotlight due to health issues.
- Jun 7, 2019
AceShowbiz - Music legend Dr. John has died, aged 77.
The icon, who fused jazz, psychedelic rock, Cajun, Americana, blues and the music of his native New Orleans, passed away after suffering a heart attack early on Thursday, June 06, according to his family.
He had stepped back from the spotlight after health issues prompted him to cancel a string of shows in 2017.
"The family thanks all whom have shared his unique musical journey, and requests privacy at this time," a statement reads.
Born Mac Rebennack, Dr. John was a hellraiser in his youth, dropping out of high school to pursue his love of music and playing some of Louisiana's most infamous venues, including strip clubs. He famously lost the ring finger of his left hand in a shooting incident in Jacksonville, Florida in the early 1960s.
Rebennack, who performed with the likes of Professor Longhair and Irma Thomas, before making a name for himself, also spent time behind bars in Texas before bursting onto the music scene as a solo artist in the late 1960s with his acclaimed debut album "Gris-Gris". He also won rave reviews for his 1973 release "In the Right Place" and "Locked Down" in 2012, and scored hits on the U.S. jazz charts with "In a Sentimental Mood" in 1989 and "Goin' Back to New Orleans" in 1992.
The musician won multiple Grammy awards and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.
His memoir, "Under a Hoodoo Moon", was released in 1994.
