New Orleans music icon Dr. John passed away yesterday following a heart attack.
The flamboyant six-time Grammy award winner — real name Malcolm John Rebennack — was 77. He died a week before he was scheduled to play at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.
A statement on the singer/pianist’s Twitter account reads,
“Towards the break of day June 6, iconic music legend Malcolm John Rebennack, Jr., known as Dr. John, passed away of a heart attack. The family thanks all whom shared his unique musical journey and requests privacy at this time. Memorial arrangements will be announced in due course.”
Born in New Orleans, Dr. John first leaped to fame after his 1968 debut album, Gris-Gris, which combined traditional rhythm & blues with psychedelic rock. Giving birth to ‘The Night Tripper’ persona, Dr. John would explain in his 1994 autobiography, Under a Hoodoo Moon, the reason for his artist name.
“In the 1840s and 1850s, one New Orleans root doctor was preeminent in the city for the awe in which he was held by the poor and the fear and notoriety he inspired among the rich. Known variously as John Montaigne, Bayou John, and most often Dr. John, he was a figure larger than life.”
Speaking about the iconic pianist’s passing, John Bel Edwards, Louisiana’s Governor, said,
“Dr. John was a true Louisiana legend. He showed the world Louisiana’s rich musical heritage, and his passion for music has left a mark on the industry unlike any other.”
Irma Thomas, a fellow New Orleans singer, added,
“He was just a mystical person. He did what he liked best and was very unique with his style.”
Detailing how Dr. John’s 1974 Desperately Bonnaroo album inspired the now-popular Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Jonathan Mayer, the event’s co-founder, told Spin Magazine in 2010,
“The word ‘Bonnaroo’ looked cool. It turned out that it’s Creole slang for ‘good stuff.’ That just seemed to represent what we’re about. I Googled it and it didn’t seem like it was too widely used, which meant that it was a term that we could really brand as our own. It’s been a perfect fit.”
Married twice, Dr. John previously told The New York Times he has “a lot” of children.
Featured image by Derek Bridges (CC by 2.0).