Dr. John

Born: Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. 21st November 1940

Born and grew up in New Orleans. Started playing the piano at six years old. Greatly influenced by Professor Longhair. At some point (late 1950s?) moved to Los Angeles

While a teenaqer recorded Storm Warning (Rex, 1957)

As Mac Rebennack worked as a session musician around LA. Quit a job backing Sonny and Cher to join The Mothers for the Freak Out! session:

Frank had written me this part to play, five or six notes on the piano over and over - not much different than Sonny and Cher. In the background a twenty-voice choir croaked out monster sound effects, something like "Gggrrrrrrhhhhrrr!" When I had had about all I could take I asked Les McCann to hold down my chair, telling him I had to go to the bathroom. I walked out of there and never came back.

Continued working as a prolific session musician while developing the Dr. John The Night Tripper persona; recording his Gris Gris album secretly during Sonny and Cher's studio time.

FZ parodied Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya on Freaks & Motherf*#@%! as Wino Man - With Dr. John Routine (NB The link from the album page will be of no use to you!).

He continued recording as Dr. John and had a top ten hit with Right Place, Wrong Time (Atco SD 7018, 1973).

Was support act for The Mothers 1975 New Year's Eve concert

Appeared in Martin Scorsese' film The Last Waltz (1978).

He continues to record, releasing Anutha Zone (Virgin, 1998) recorded with many younger British musicians.