R.I.P. Musician ‘Dr. John’ Passes Away Says Family

NEW ORLEANS, LA. (THECOUNT) — New Orleans, Louisiana musician Dr. John has passed away, family members announced on Thursday.

The celebrated singer and piano player who blended black and white musical influence with a hoodoo-infused stage persona and gravelly bayou drawl was 77.

Towards the break of day on June 6, 2019, iconic music legend Malcolm John Rebennack, Jr., professionally known as Dr….

A family statement released by his publicist says Dr. John, who was born Mac Rebennack, died early Thursday of a heart attack, reports Fox8Live.

“Towards the break of day on June 6, 2019, iconic music legend Malcolm John Rebennack, Jr., professionally known as Dr. John, passed away of a heart attack. As a Rock N Roll Hall of Fame inductee, six time Grammy winner, songwriter, composer, producer, and performer, he created a unique blend of music which carried his home town, New Orleans, at its’ heart, as it was always in his heart. The family thanks all whom have shared his unique musical journey, and requests privacy at this time. Memorial arrangements will be announced in due course.”

His spooky “Gris Gris Gumbo Ya Ya” slithered onto the pop-dominated market in 1968, startling listeners with its sinister implications of other-worldly magic.

In a career marked by drug addiction, he later had a Top 10 hit with “Right Place, Wrong Time.” He collaborated with numerous top-tier rockers, won multiple Grammy awards and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.