Happy Birthday Dr. John: Performing With Etta James & Allen Toussaint In 1982
By Andy Kahn Nov 21, 2016 • 12:17 pm PST
One of the men directly responsible for cultivating the rich history of music originating in the City Of New Orleans is acclaimed local musician Dr. John who yesterday celebrated his 76th birthday. Born in NOLA in 1940, Mac Rebennack adopted the Dr. John persona and stage name in the late-1960s, while cementing his place among the legendary great pianists from the Crescent City.
In 1982 Dr. John appeared on an episode of the long running PBS live concert series Soundstage. He was joined by fellow legendary New Orleans pianist and his frequent collaborator, the late great Allen Toussaint, as well as late legendary vocalist Etta James. The footage from the episode below features four of the songs played at the special taping in Chicago.
Dr. John leads renditions of a pair of his best-known songs, including “Such A Night” and his smash hit “Right Place, Wrong Time.” There is also footage of Dr. John playing guitar while Toussaint plays keys and James sings “Groove Me.” Lastly, there’s a clip of Dr. John and Etta James singing a duet on her beloved “I’d Rather Go Blind.” Watch The Night Tripper in action:
Loading tour dates
