Under a Hoodoo Moon: The Life of the Night Tripper

by Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jack Rummel

Under a Hoodoo Moon is one of rock's most original and infectious autobiographies. In its pages, Dr. John, the alchemist of New Orleans psychedelic funk, tells his story, and what a story it is: of four decades on the road, on the charts, in and out of trouble, but always steeped in the piano-based soulful grind of New Orleans rhythmn & blues of which he is the acknolwedged high guru. From childhood as a prodigal prodigy among 1950s legends from Little Richard and Fats Domino to sesssions with the Rolling Stones and the Band; from recording studio to juke joint to penitentiary to world tours; from Mac Rebennack to Dr. John the Night Tripper, this is the testament of our funkiest rock storyteller. Full of wit and wordplay, tales of hoodoo saints and high-living sinners, Under a Hoodoo Moon casts a spell as hard to resist as Mardi Gras itself.

Genres: Music, Biography, Memoir, Nonfiction, History

276 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1994

About the author

Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. (born November 21, 1940), better known by the stage name Dr. John (also Dr. John Creaux), is an American singer/songwriter, pianist and guitarist whose music combines blues, boogie woogie and rock and roll.
--from Wikipedia

Reviews

[Susan Budd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Under a Hoodoo Moon is the autobiography of Dr. John, the Night Tripper. Coolest cat in the Crescent City. Soul of psychedelic New Orleans. The gris-gris man hisself.

If I were not already in the Doctor’s thrall I would be after reading his book. But he cast his spell on me long ago with his voodoo blues, especially Gris-Gris (1968), Babylon (1969), Remedies (1970), and The Sun, Moon & Herbs (1971).

Dr. John’s storytelling is as hypnotic as his music. He tells of growing up in New Orleans in the 40s and 50s. Getting turned on to music, dope, and spiritualism. Earning his doctorate in fonknology playing juke joints. Fighting. Losing a finger. Going to prison. Developing his unique sound in the 60s and 70s. And getting clean in the 80s.

Under a Hoodoo Moon is filled with the spirit of New Orleans, but the chapters that celebrate the city’s eclectic electric culture are the ones I like the best. In the Doctor’s own words:

“In New Orleans, everything—food, music, religion, even the way people talk and act—has deep, deep roots; and, like the tangled veins of cypress roots that meander this way and that in the swamp, everything in New Orleans is interrelated, wrapped around itself in ways that aren’t always obvious” (250).

My own interest in the culture of New Orleans dates back to the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition. The World’s Fair. It was a time of “changes” ~ as the Doctor would say. And remedies. But I remember a little. Croissants and café au lait on the patio of a Vieux Carré hotel. The quaint architecture of the Creole townhouses with their cast-iron balconies. Balconies which came in handy when it rained.

Bourbon Street of course. Dixieland and daiquiris at the Maison Bourbon. You could keep the glass if you could drink the whole thing. You could keep the glass even if you couldn’t drink the whole thing, but it was fun to try. Crazy Shirley’s. Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo. The waterfront. Moran’s Riverside Restaurant. So good I swiped the ashtray. Gumbo. Jambalaya. A steamboat cruise on the Mississippi River. But most of all, just roaming around the French Quarter seeing everything there was to see.

It was nearly twenty years later when I thought about New Orleans again. I discovered a writer who instantly became one of my favorite American writers: Lafcadio Hearn. I was enchanted by Fantastics and Other Fancies and sought out his other writings on New Orleans. Not sated by all this, I also read Kate Chopin, Alice Dunbar-Nelson, and Robert Tallant. I longed to revisit the City that Care Forgot. But for one reason or another, that was not to be. Then Katrina happened, raining death and destruction on the people of New Orleans. May all the lost souls be at peace.

I could not get to New Orleans, but in time, New Orleans came to me. I saw Dr. John perform twice in 2009.

The first time was the weekend before Lent. He performed with the Neville Brothers. He did “You Call That a Buddy,” “Iko Iko,” “Right Place, Wrong Time,” and more. I was at the foot of the stage, so I could only really see his shoes. But they were some happening shoes. Aaron Neville sang one song while the Doctor played piano. Then the Neville Brothers rocked the house. They did “Fever,” “Voodoo,” “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and Aaron Neville closed the show with an a cappella “Amazing Grace.” That was February 20th at Terminal 5.

The second time was December 30th at the Highline Ballroom. It was a short show, but infinitely awesome. It was the last time I saw the Doctor perform. He died on June 6, 2019.

♫ You know this song go on like a river
It never end, it just go on from one end to the other
Just keep on flowin’ between everybody, between each ‘n’ other
No matter which one you wanna call your sister, your brother
How you wanna feel it, it just keep on flowin’
What they call this thing, it’s a little thing
Familiar reality Where have I seen you before ♫

RIP Dr. John.

[John Brissette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok. In full disclosure, as a Creole, as a frequent visitor & lover of New Orleans, as a person who sees the city as a cultural "home", I have long since been a fan of Dr. John, of his music, of his style, his character, his way. I see him as a cultural treasure of our nation. I picked this book up so as to better understand the cultural & musical icon. It delivered on that. However, it also delivered the best lagniappe (something extra) a book has done in a while. This book delivered a page turning, gripping, no holds barred expose of the music industry. The glitz, the glamour, the world tours & after parties? This book unveils the dirty deals, double crosses, substance abuse, misunderstood artistry & misdiagnosed mental illness that is a common core of the industry. Mac lays it bare and reveals all. Having had professional musicians in the family I've always been encouraged to learn & play, but only as an amateur. I see why. This book delivers a cant put down, page turning low down on the biz.

[Bob Schnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

According to Mac Rebennack (aka Dr. John), New Orleans died the year I was born, 1962. That was the year that DA Jim Garrison decided to go "all jive-ass morality" and clean up the corruption that used to be his bread and butter. By closing down the gambling joints, whorehouses and unlicensed honky-tonks he put a lot of people, especially musicians, out of work. With no other options, people either turned to a life of crime or got out of town. Mac, who did some petty crime to support his drug habit, was soon on the wanted list. Thus began his long, strange journey across the nation, looking for work and trying to find his way back to New Orleans without winding up in jail for the long haul.

"Under a Hoodoo Moon" is unlike any music autobiography I've read. The shadow of the New Orleans we know now is but a pale memory of what once was the musical hotspot of the world. Mac was able to catch the tail end of that period and the memory of it eventually became his salvation as the character of Dr. John (based on a real life medicine man and spiritual leader) rose from its ashes. Until then, he suffered all of the indignities of a dope fiend musician on the move, trying to scrape by while meeting and earning the respect of others in similar situations. From session work in Los Angeles to songwriting and arranging in New York, Mac was always one step ahead of the law and the debt collectors. Even when things began to take off for Dr. John, he was continuously victimized by the industry and saw little profit from his work. His story is told with nostalgia, humor and some well-deserved bitterness. I couldn't put it down and the chapter on Professor Longhair had me laughing out loud. Highly recommended.

[Mumblyjoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the autobiography of one Mac Rebennack, commonly known as Dr John. If you don't know, Rebennack's rich, rich music is the very essence of New Orleans. "Hoodoo Moon" follows his life from the first guitar lesson, to first heroin use (age 15 or 16), to producing records (age 17), to attempts at pimping, to writing music for Little Richard and others, to being evicted from New Orleans by Jim Garrison, to... well, that's as far as I've gotten. What's amazing here is the openness with which Mac shares the more sordid details of his life. The nice part is it doesn't read like an AA 8th step list, a religious confession, or bragging rights. He's just telling his story.

From this it is obvious that Rebenneck's life revolves around two things - music and New Orleans.

[Murf Reeves · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the bio Under the Hoodoo Moon for many reasons. As a DJ in New Orleans, The Dr.'s stories help to fill in the gaps of my musical picture of New Orleans. The details Dr. John describes are super important when connecting the dots of history, songs and the whole timeline. Another fascinating aspect was his voice. Dr. John stays the same streetwise kid with his view on life even when he starts to reach the heights of stardom, you can feel through his words how he stayed close to the street, whether it was hustling or learning, he was always simply being DR. JOHN!!

[T.R. Westerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

To hear Dr. John's story is to hear in some real sense the history of American music during the rock n' roll era. From child prodigy, to a blues brother archetype, from the guitarist shot in a club, to a piano player taught by a flamboyant genius who innovated a "phantom third hand" playing technique, from prisoner, to a man who played for Children in Disney movies--it was a weird life Mac Rabennack led, Dr. John, the nite tripper. To take the trip and hear it in his own words is one of the greatest experiences any book can give. It's a shame the story ends in 1994, and we lack a sequel. Still, you can't hold it against a book that doesn't cover what happened after it's publication date. Mac is one of the most interesting characters from one of the most unique and colorful American subcultures, that gave us Rock n Roll in its first incarnation. The legacies of Dr. John, James Booker, and Professor Longhair--who taught Little Mac about songwriting while working in his pop Big Mac's record store and also invented rock n' roll--this book preserves. Dr. John also was a key witness to the New Orleans scene that gave us Rock, Jazz and Funk before the DA Jim Garrison (famously portrayed by Kevin Costner in JFK) destroyed the scene, which sent Mac off to Hollywood where he would meet up with many of the biggest acts from the classic rock era before joining their ranks hisself. This is an important book that should be considered foundational for anyone who loves American music history told by one of the most entertaining characters you could meet.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Under a Hoodoo Moon: The Life of Dr. John the Night Tripper by Mac Rebennack with Jack Rummel (St. Martin's Griffin 1994) (781.66). Mac Rebennack is the real deal. This cat has been a New Orleans bandleader and pianist for the past sixty years. I first heard of him when I stumbled across his New Orleans revue stage show as “Dr. John the Night Tripper” late one Friday night in 1972 on ABC's series “In Concert.” He has played with just about every musician of note who recorded in New Orleans between 1955 and 2018. He was a heroin addict from 1955 until 1989. He has continued to live, play, and record for twenty-five years since this volume was published. Mac Rebennack is now considered to be one of the century's most indispensible New Orleans jazz masters. Some of this volume is hard to stomach. Not too many public figures today would boast of having been a pimp, and I'll bet that Professor Rebennack would like to have some of these quotes back. Nevertheless, this is a singular look into the influence of the New Orleans sound on the music of today from one who was right there in the middle of everything. My rating: 6/10, finished 10/20/18. I purchased my PB copy in fair condition for $1.50 on 3/14/18. PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malcom John Rebennack tunnetaan paremmin nimellä Dr. John. Vuonna 1940 syntyneen muusikon muistelmateos "Under a Hoodoo Moon: The Life of the Night Tripper" (St. Martin's, 1994) on kaiketi Jack Rummel -nimisen toimittajan käsialaa, mutta kohdehenkilön ääni ja slangiin viittaava puheenparsi välittyvät kyllä mukavasti kirjan sivuilta.

Hyvän tohtorin muistelmat ovat oikein viihdyttävää luettavaa. Musiikin lisäksi käsitellään myös kadun varjoisempaa puolta vankilassa istuneena pikkurikollisena ja päihteiden väärinkäyttäjänä. Myös New Orleansin kaupungista ja sen värikkäistä asukkaista riittää kerrottavaksi anekdootti jos toinenkin. Aiheet vaihtelevat mestaripianisti Professor Longhairin metkuista voodoo-rituaaleihin.

Leijonanosa kirjasta kuluu 1950-lukua ja 1960-luvun alkupuolta muistellessa, kun taas myöhemmät vaiheet käydään läpi melko nopeasti, vaikka varmasti niistäkin olisi irronnut mielenkiintoista kerrottavaa. Lieneekö tekijöillä painanut deadline päälle vai mikä lienee syynä moiseen ratkaisuun, vaan mikäs siinä, oikein hyvä musiikkikirja tämä on tämmöisenäänkin.

[Eric R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book as a huge fan of Dr John’s music. I had no idea how many songs he’d written, and now I get to go back and listen to his session work with sooo many great musicians. I was familiar with many of the New Orleans musicians, but he also talks about BB King, The Rolling Stones and Van Morrison; records where he was just doing session work.

I won’t belabor this though, somewhere in the middle the story gets a little long as there’s just so much detail on what who did what when. And yet on the other hand, I desperately wish there was a chapter I could read about the making of his album, Creole Moon, which is my favorite (released several years after this book was published). In other words, although it feels a bit long in the middle, I happily would’ve read more on his later career.

I recommend this book for anyone who loves Mac’s music, New Orleans music, the music industry in the 60s-70s.

[Steven Foley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not normally into biographies/autobiographies, but I am into Dr. John. This book really portrays New Orleans in the way that I fell in love with it for. From the first page through the last, you can hear Rebennack’s New Orleans drawl and the way that he spoke in rhymes. He takes you along his journey of life while also showing you glimpses of so many other astounding people (mostly musicians). Additionally, he lists countless songs that he made, his friends made, and songs that inspired he and his friends. I made a Spotify playlist titled “Under a Hoodoo Moon”, if you want to experience the musical journey, too! (A handful of songs were not found as the titles may no longer be accessible.)

[Jake Ambos · Rating 3 out of 5]

While a great look into the mind and musical genius of Dr. John, it left out his life, which may be the point. The narrative goes from heroin hit to gig (with amazing musicians) to heroin hit, and I didn't even learn until the end that he had children. It's the tale of a true genius whose life passed him by, leaving behind a legendary body of work. A cautionary tale that there is more to life than art, and his regret creeps into the book's conclusion.

[Suzanne Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I was never a huge Dr. John fan, this book has made me go back and listen to his music again. I liked this book. The language was authentic Dr. John and as the book progressed he addressed some serious issues. He's a truly unique individual and has written a straightforward book with no attempt to justify or apologize for his colorful life.

[Hillary]

this would be amazing as an audio book read by Dr. John. it isn't the same reading his stories as it is hearing them.

[Larry-bob Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting autobiography by the New Orleans-born keybordist and guitarist. Has lots of great anecdotes about touring with New Orleans piano genius/madman James Booker.

[Cheryl McEnaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining, in his own "voice"...an extraordinary life!

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea that Dr. John had so many problems with drugs and the law. Of course, the law seemed to target the musician community because many were known users. It's amazing how many -- including Dr. John himself -- ended up in Angola prison. Little did I know he did not get clean until about 1987 which is a long time to be on the lam and maintaining a high profile music career.

I have been reading a lot about the city of New Orleans recently and this book is a treasure trove of "hoodoo" folklore and musical history. Mac Rebennak's roots run deep there. He even learned one of his ancestors was closely associated with the original Dr. John, a famous faith healer (from whom he took his stage name) and he had a grandfather who performed in minstrel shows which is where he soaked up a lot of "schtick" for his late sixties act.

The city was alive with music venues in the 1950s and Dr. John worked with practically all the giants who had national hits. The musical exodus began in 1962 when Jim Garrison became mayor (yes, that Jim Garrison of JFK conspiracy fame). He made it a personal crusade to shut down all of the vice in the city and in the process killed off the music scene. "Mac" and many other musicians went to Los Angeles where they found session work with people like Sony Bono and Phil Spector who made what, to their ears, sounded like "watered-down crap."

It was fortunately via Atlantic's Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler that Dr. John was able to record his own material in the late-sixties. Prior to that, he was mainly a session player and producer for other people and nobody thought there was a market for what he did. Although conceding that Ertegun and Wexler were both con artists, they knew and loved the real New Orleans sound having already released records by Professor Longhair.

The book ends in 1996 but reads like it was written by someone who lived twice as long (which, miraculously he did until he passed in about 2020).

[El Lector Enmascarado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mac Rebennack fue y sigue siendo un músico extraordinariamente influyente, capaz de hacer que a quienes le escuchan se le salten las lágrimas de emoción (me remito a los comentarios de sus vídeos en YouTube). Sin embargo, también fue un mujeriego, un proxeneta, un ayudante en abortos clandestinos, un presidiario, un paciente psiquiátrico y un heroinómano irredento. En estas memorias no trata de disculparse —y menos aún de justificarse—, sino que se centra en lo que más le importa: la exuberante atmósfera musical en la que creció y las innumerables leyendas del rock con las que colaboró.

He disfrutado como un enano con el pintoresquismo de la escena musical de Nueva Orleans en los años 50 y 60... sin sufrir los efectos secundarios de quienes vivieron inmersos en ella. Peleas en bares, duelos musicales para desbancar a un músico residente, sindicatos kamikazes, supersticiones haitianas... Pasada la mitad del libro, el Dr. John dedica un par de páginas a comentar la gestación de cada uno de sus discos (hasta Television); sin duda querré releerlas mientras escucho cada uno de ellos. También he tomado nota de unos cuantos nombres que deberé buscar en la tienda de discos más cercana: James Booker (¡¿por qué nadie me habló de él antes?!), Lee Dorsey, Richard «Didimus» Washington, Huey Smith, la Bassin Street Band...

[Leben Norrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great, it really is written like it’s coming straight from the man’s mouth. He has a peculiar and original style which shines through on each page.

The great thing about this book is it really ignites a want and need to sit and listen to his vast discography, he talks of his music and style in poetic depth. There is also the sordid junkie fiend side of the story that can put you a bit on edge from time to time.

My only complaint is that it does drastically speed up in narrative for about the last third, it would have been great if he had devoted as much time on his later career.

The book was written around the mid 90s so it would be good to read more of his story, he released an album ‘Locked Down’ in 2011 that is phenomenal. sadly he passed away in 2015, a legend, Mac Rabenac AKA Dr John.

I think this book is a great read for anyone interested in the history of New Orleans music and those who really like rock autobiographies.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. John's autobiography is 'warts and all' in the best way, a music biz legend inured to the vagaries of the lifestyle telling it as it was. The first half, in which Mac really digs into the New Orleans scene and all of the semi-illegal and very illicit side hustles taking place adjacent to the music industry, is full of amazing stories and anecdotes as it builds a constellation of the personalities of the 40s, 50s, and 60s. Once the book reaches Dr. John's more widespread success in the rock world, it loses a bit of steam and becomes a bit more of a connect-the-dots exercise, but this is essential reading for people interested in the junction of mass popular music and occult folk music in the United States.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool book about New Orleans as Dr. John knew it. As a history of the criminal underworld, it belongs on the shelf alongside Luc Sante and Herbert Asbury. Also, it devotes an entire chapter to James Booker, who played in Dr. John's band (I never knew that). And another chapter to Professor Longhair, who was a hilarious and fascinating guy. A lot of it concerns Mac's attempts to buy smack and the many resulting jail stints, as well as the cast of characters he jams with, scores with, does time with, and hides out with.

[Jez Keighley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A missed opporunity. He should have let someone else write it ! Mac Rebennack had a fascinating life, growing up in New Orleans and becoming an unforgettable part of the music scene. Inventing himself as Dr John the Night Tripper, playing with and writing songs for many greats of the American music scene. Not to mention voodoo, Mardi Gras, drug addiction, violence, prison, racism and segregation. Sadly all this is thrown into the melting pot, sometimes without context or regard for accuracy or chronology.

In need of serious editing but a great story and musically inspiring nevertheless.

[Heidi Hopf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good look into the life and struggles of a musician in New Orleans in those days.
Really neat how speaks of his own experiences but mostly sets the scene of the times as well as opinions and stories of so many other musicians and businessmen. The tales spun here are pretty damn heavy but it left me with tons of curiosity about a lot of other players.

[Slagle Rock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inside scoop from Dr. John from his long and funky career. The book, written in 1995, gave me a lot deeper of an understanding of Mac Rebennack than I ever would have imagined from the limited radio play and occasional tv appearances I remember from growing up in the 70s and 80s. It's almost as enjoyable as the Keith Richards autobiography Life.

[Rory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always liked Dr Johns music and demeanor. This book really gives insight into how he got to be the way he was and how long and hard he dealt with addiction. His time in the music industry was long and hard and he was influenced by so many iconic people over the years.
I really enjoyed reading it.

[Antonio Depietro · Rating 5 out of 5]

i forgot i read this 20 years ago- and was just reminded with Dr Johns passing. If you ever want to know about the roots of R&B, Rock n roll, New Orleans, Voodoo, Drugs and it all connects - please read "Under a Hoodoo Moon: The Life of the Night Tripper". It will change the way you see things.

[John Ulferts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. John was an American original. His autobiography is an exceptional read. He doesn't hold anything back. His love for music is clear throughout. The pain he felt from being imprisoned still resonates through the pages. Such a book! Such a life! Thank you Dr. John!

[Tony Pisano · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for me. Very very insider baseball for N.O. Music in the 50-70’s but still very very entertaining. Great read to dive deeper into Dr John’s music as well. Goes pretty deep into the origins of his music and sound. If you are into music autobiographies I would recommend it.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok, left out important stuff

[Debbie Best · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always loved the good Doctor and his music, after reading this book, I love him even more.

[Joe Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best autobiographies i have ever read. Thoroughly entertaining. Gives a window into a forgotten time and place