Dr. John is the spiritual and musical embodiment of New Orleans. Since the 1950s he has used Crescent City blues, R&B, funk, jazz, rock, and pop as ingredients in his musical gumbo, and he remains one of the city's most personable ambassadors. Over the years, Dr. John has played on hundreds of recordings made by dozens of artists and has worked as an arranger, producer, sideman, and talent scout. He also has penned hundreds of compositions and has performed at just about every major jazz and blues festival, both in the U.S. and abroad. In short, Dr. John is a New Orleans original and one of the shapers of that city's post- World War II musical legacy.

Born and raised in New Orleans, Mac Rebennack (he didn't begin calling himself Dr. John until 1968) was surrounded by music as a child. His father owned a record store that specialized in black music, and he also repaired club sound systems, often taking his son with him on jobs. By hanging out at his father's store, young Mac was exposed to jazz, blues, and early R&B. By age fourteen he could play the piano and guitar and began working recording sessions at Cosimo Matassa's recording studio where he befriended such New Orleans luminaries as James Booker, Professor Longhair, and Allen Toussaint.

By the mid-1950s Rebennack was a main cog in the New Orleans music- making machine. Ace Records employed him as a songwriter, and he worked as a producer and A&R man for Ric and Ron Records, in addition to Specialty, Minit, and other labels. Rebennack also did studio work for Chess and Mercury and, despite being white, was a founding member of the AFO (All for One) black music co-operative and label.

In a 1961 barroom fight, Rebennack lost the tip of his ring finger on his right hand when a gun he sought to take away from his adversary went off. The tip of the finger was repaired, but Rebennack lost feeling in it. The injury forced him to change the way he played guitar and prompted him to learn the bass. Fortunately it didn't affect his piano playing, as the piano was becoming his main instrument.

With work opportunities for musicians fading in New Orleans in the mid-'60s, Rebennack joined other Cresent City players who moved to the West Coast to seek work. Rebennack became a studio musician and often worked with rock & roll producer Phil Spector. In 1968, he began his solo career; using studio time given to him by Sonny & Cher, Rebennack recorded his debut album, Gris Gris, which was picked up by Atco Records that year. Changing his name to Dr. John Creaux the Night Tripper (later shortened to Dr. John) and creating a psychedelicized voodoo persona, complete with wild Mardi Gras costumes and headdresses, Rebennack reinvented traditional New Orleans sounds in a pop setting.

After Gris Gris, Dr. John recorded the albums Babylon and Remedies and The Sun, Moon & Herbs before scoring with Gumbo, an album that was filled with New Orleans roots music. The 1972 work contained flavorful versions of New Orleans standards like "Iko Iko" and "Tipitina." The follow-up Atco record, In the Right Place, featured Dr. John's biggest pop hit, "Right Place, Wrong Time," which made it to number 9 on the charts in 1973. Dr. John next joined Triumvirate, a short-lived supergroup that also included blues guitarists Mike Bloomfield and John Hammond, Jr. Their self-titled album sank without a trace in 1974.

For the rest of the 1970s and well into the 1980s, Dr. John continued to make records. Along the way he explored a variety of rock and pop paths with mixed results. He also continued his busy career as a studio musician and club performer. His recording career was revitalized in 1990 with the release of the album In a Sentimental Mood, which included an infectious rendition of "Makin' Whoopee," cut as a duet with singer Rickie Lee Jones.

In 1992 Dr. John once again returned to his New Orleans roots with the album Goin' Back to New Orleans. He continues to record and perform.