BUDDY GUY |
Born in New Orleans on November
21, 1940, as Malcolm Rebennack, Dr. John began playing the piano
at the age of 6. Mac's first record date as a musician was at
14, coinciding with his job at Ace Records, as the world's youngest
A & R man. In the mid-fifties, an A & R man's responsibilities
were to find an artist, write the material, hire the musicians,
cut and master the records, all for $60 a week. This early experience
brought him countless sessions with the likes of Shirley and
Lee, Joe Tex, Frankie Ford of "Sea Cruise" fame, and
with his personal mentor, Professor Longhair.
In Los Angeles, during the sixties, he worked with Sonny
& Cher, Frank Zappa, Phil Spector, and many others. The initial
Gris-Gris album, which established the cryptic Dr. John persona,
was cut secretly on Sonny & Cher's studio time. It was here,
that Mac assimilated the alter ego of "The Night Tripper,"
Archbishop of his own recipe of R & B, psychedelia swamp-rock,
and blues.
The Seventies brought a top 10 hit, "Right Place,
Wrong Time," on the Sun, Moon, and Herbs album, on the Atlantic
subsidiary Atco. He could also be found working and recording
with talents such as Allan Toussaint, The Rolling Stones, Van
Morrison, The Meters, John Paul Hammond, and Bob Dylan. In 1978,
Dr. John was a featured performer in Martin Scorsese's The Last
Waltz.
Dr. John strayed from the image of his past with the 1980's
release of an interpretation of the classics, Sentimental Mood,
spawning a Grammy duet along with Ricky Lee Jones, "Makin'
Whoopee." The 90's produced another Grammy-winning effort,
Goin' Back to New Orleans, a colourful tribute to his roots in
New Orleans. Afterglow, another collection of delicious classics,
was released in 1995. |