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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 1
BY SENATOR CARTER
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To express the sincere condolences of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the death of
Malcolm John Rebennack Jr., "Dr. John, the Night Tripper".
WHEREAS, it is with deep regret and profound sorrow that the Legislature of
Louisiana learned of the passing of Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. on June 6, 2019, at the age
of seventy-six; and
WHEREAS, he was born in New Orleans on November 20, 1941, the son of Dorothy
(Cronin) and Malcolm John Rebennack, and had German, Irish, Spanish, English, and
French heritage; and
WHEREAS, Malcolm John Rebennack Jr., better known by his stage name, Dr. John,
was a New Orleans singer and songwriter whose music combined blues, pop, jazz,
boogie-woogie, and rock and roll; and
WHEREAS, Dr. John, as a seasoned musician from the late 1950s until his death,
gained a following in the late 1960s after the release of his album Gris-Gris; and
WHEREAS, he grew up in the 3rd Ward of New Orleans, and found early musical
inspiration in the minstrel tunes sung by his grandfather and a number of aunts, uncles, a
sister, and cousins who played piano; and
WHEREAS, Dr. John did not take music lessons before his teens and endured only
a short stint in choir before getting kicked out; and
WHEREAS, his father exposed him as a young boy to jazz musicians King Oliver
and Louis Armstrong, who later inspired his 2014 release, Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of
Satch; and
WHEREAS, at thirteen years old, Dr. John met Professor Longhair; impressed by
"The Fess's" flamboyant attire and striking musical style, Dr. John soon began performing
with him, and began his life as a professional musician; and
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WHEREAS, later he began to perform in New Orleans clubs, mainly on guitar, and
played on stage with various local artists; and
WHEREAS, Dr. John later recalled that his debut in the studio, in about 1955 or
1956, came when he was signed as a songwriter and artist by Eddie Mesner at Aladdin
Records; and
WHEREAS, he joined the musicians' union at the end of 1957, with the help of
Danny Kessler, and then considered himself to be a professional musician; and
WHEREAS, beginning in the late 1960s, he gained fame as a solo artist after
adopting the persona of "Dr. John, The Night Tripper", and
WHEREAS, Gris-Gris, his 1968 debut album combining voodoo rhythms and chants
with the New Orleans music tradition, was ranked in "The 500 Greatest Albums of All
Time" and by the time The Sun, Moon, and Herbs was released, he had gained a notable cult
following; and
WHEREAS, Dr. John was also a prominent musician and throughout his career he
performed, recorded, motivated, and worked with Mick Jagger & The Rolling Stones, Carly
Simon, The Beatles, Chocolate Milk, James Taylor, Neil Diamond, Van Morrison, Eric
Clapton, Allen Toussaint, The Meters, LN & R, Bonnie Raitt, Irma Thomas, LeAnn Rimes,
Wardell Quezergue, King Floyd, Fats Domino, Duck Butter, Greg Allman, The Neville
Brothers, Alice Cooper, Darlene Love, Bruce Springsteen, John Batiste, Little Richard,
Guitar Slim, and many more; and
WHEREAS, Dr. John worked extensively with musician Deacon John Moore,
President of the Musicians Union, with numerous studio recordings expanding blues, pop,
jazz, boogie-woogie, and rock and roll; and
WHEREAS, Dr. John has a list of movie credits including The Last Waltz, Sgt.
Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Blues Brothers; he also teamed up with Aaron
Neville and Aretha Franklin at Super Bowl XL, and closed the Grammy Awards in 2006;
and
WHEREAS, in January 2008, Dr. John was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall
of Fame and later in February, performed on Saturday Night Live, and released his Grammy
Award-winning City that Care Forgot about Hurricane Katrina's devastation in New
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Orleans; and
WHEREAS, he reigned as "King of the Krewe du Vieux" for the 2010 New Orleans
Mardi Gras season and entertained the crowds at many Mardi Gras Mambos; and
WHEREAS, on May 13, 2010, Dr. John played alongside The Roots on Late Night
with Jimmy Fallon and was warmly greeted by Jimmy's first guest, Keith Richards; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards also issued a Statement of
Recognition to Dr. John for, " … embodying the culture of the state from New Orleans to
the Bayou".
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
express condolences on the death of Malcolm John Rebennack Jr., better known as Dr. John,
does hereby commend him posthumously for the indelible mark he left on his community,
state, and nation, and does hereby offer thoughts and prayers for peace and comfort to those
who mourn him.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
family of Malcolm John Rebennack Jr.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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