Dr. John is dead

Icon of New Orleans and master of jazz, rock n 'roll and other genres, Dr. John (real name John Rebennack, Jr.) died today of a heart attack. He was 77 years old. His family issued a brief statement earlier in the day: "Towards dawn on June 6, the legendary music legend Malcolm John Rebennack, Jr., known as Dr. John, died of A heart attack. The family thanks all those who have shared their musical journey and their requests for confidentiality at the moment. The commemorative arrangements will be announced in due course. "From NOLA.com:

Dr. John, whose first name was Malcolm John Rebennack Jr., also called Mac, was born in New Orleans, a place that introduced him to the rhythms of jazz, R & B, rock and roll, jump blues, funk and Mardi Gras. that would come to shape his music. Mr. Rebennack was a man whose style and outlook was also shaped by voodoo, that mysterious and mystical spiritualism that had developed from the Afro-Caribbean roots of the city. And in New Orleans, it meant that it stood out so much that it suited perfectly …

His first album, "Gray-Gray" in 1968, was meant to "keep the gloom of New Orleans alive," he told the magazine. The sounds of Mardi Gras, West Africa and psychedelic vocals were a hit with long-haired hippies that Mr. Rebennack knew in California, and the album is at the top of the 500-plus list. albums of all time Rolling Stone magazine.

The album marks the beginning of a long career during which Nite Tripper and Mr. Rebennack will converge, obviously in New Orleans' man-centered patois, which, once transcribed, could confuse an English educator but would delight a listener.

When Wirt, the music writer who interviewed him for an April 2017 article, asked Mr. Rebennack what he still hoped to accomplish in his career, he said: " I'm tripping in the shortcuts of existence to feel it and that's fine. "

Dr. John, you are one of a kind, but you have left us a lot to listen to. Rest in peace.

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