John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonicist who founded the rock band

The Lovin' Spoonful The Lovin' Spoonful is an American rock band popular during the mid- to late-1960s. Founded in New York City in 1965 by lead singer/songwriter John Sebastian and guitarist Zal Yanovsky, the band is widely known for a number of hits, including ...

. He made an impromptu appearance at the

Woodstock festival Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aquar ...

in 1969Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – Lovin' Spoonful Biography
, rockhall.com. Retrieved June 4, 2015. and scored a U.S. No. 1 hit in 1976 with " Welcome Back." Sebastian was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 as a member of the Lovin' Spoonful.

Early life

Sebastian was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and grew up in Italy and

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

. His father,

John Sebastian John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonicist who founded the rock band The Lovin' Spoonful. He made an impromptu appearance at the Woodstock festival in 1969classical harmonica player, and his mother, Jane (born Mary Jane Bishir), was a radio script writer.March, Jeff, and Marti Childs
''Echoes of the Sixties: Intimate Profiles of 43 of the Musical Composers and Performers Who Influenced an Entire Generation.''
Billboard Books, 1999, p. 375–379; His godmother was

Vivian Vance Vivian Vance (born Vivian Roberta Jones; July 26, 1909 – August 17, 1979) was an American actress and singer best known for playing Ethel Mertz on the sitcom '' I Love Lucy'' (1951–1957), for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Out ...

("Ethel Mertz" of ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along wit ...

''), who was a close friend of his mother. His godfather and first babysitter was children's book illustrator

Garth Williams Garth Montgomery Williams (April 16, 1912 – May 8, 1996) was an American artist who came to prominence in the American postwar era as an illustrator of children's books. Many of the books he illustrated have become classics of American childr ...

, a friend of his father.Boehme, Mike
"Payoff Time for John Sebastian: Pop Music: The Former Lovin' Spoonful Leader, at the Coach House Tonight, Hasn't Had a Record Since 1976, But Not For Want of Trying"
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'', latimes.com, April 2, 1993.

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

was a neighbor who lived across the hall. Sebastian grew up surrounded by music and musicians, including

Burl Ives Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives (June 14, 1909 – April 14, 1995) was an American musician, actor, and author with a career that spanned more than six decades. Ives began his career as an itinerant singer and guitarist, eventually launching his own rad ...

and

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...

, and hearing such players as Lead Belly and

Mississippi John Hurt John Smith Hurt (March 8, 1893 – November 2, 1966), better known as Mississippi John Hurt, was an American country blues singer and guitarist. Raised in Avalon, Mississippi, Hurt taught himself to play the guitar around the age of nine. He w ...

in his own neighborhood.Songwriter Hall of Fame John Sebastian biography.
. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
. Retrieved January 6, 2009. He graduated from

Blair Academy Blair Academy is a coeducational, boarding and day school for students in high school. The school serves students from ninth through twelfth grades as well as a small post-graduate class. The school's campus is located on a campus in Blair ...

, a private boarding school in

Blairstown, New Jersey Blairstown is a township in Warren County, New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Blairstown's population was 5,704. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 5,967 New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

for just over a year, but dropped out as he became more interested in musical pursuits.

Early career

In the early 1960s, Sebastian developed an interest in

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

music and in playing harmonica in a blues style, rather than the classical style of his father. Through his father's connections, he met and was influenced by blues musicians Sonny Terry and

Lightnin' Hopkins Samuel John "Lightnin" Hopkins (March 15, 1912 – January 30, 1982) was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist from Centerville, Texas. In 2010, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine ranked him No. 71 on its list o ...

(for whom Sebastian served as "unofficial tour guide and valet" when Hopkins was in New York City). Sebastian became part of the folk and blues scene that was developing in Greenwich Village, which in part later gave rise to

folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...

. In addition to harmonica, Sebastian played guitar and occasionally autoharp. One of Sebastian's first

recording A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, r ...

gigs was playing guitar and harmonica for

Billy Faier Billy Faier (December 21, 1930 – January 29, 2016) was an American banjo player and folk music evangelist. He, along with Pete Seeger, was one of the early exponents of the banjo during the mid-20th-century American folk music revival. ...

's 1964 album ''The Beast of Billy Faier.'' He also played on

Fred Neil Fred Neil (March 16, 1936 – July 7, 2001) was an American folk singer-songwriter active in the 1960s and early 1970s. He did not achieve commercial success as a performer and is mainly known through other people's recordings of his material& ...

's album '' Bleecker & MacDougal'' and

Tom Rush Thomas Walker Rush (born February 8, 1941) is an American folk music, folk and blues music, blues singer, guitarist and songwriter who helped launch the careers of other singer-songwriters in the 1960s and has continued his own singing career f ...

's self-titled album in 1965. He played in the

Even Dozen Jug Band The Even Dozen Jug Band was founded in 1963 by Stefan Grossman (solo country blues and ragtime guitarist) and Peter Siegel (roots-based guitarist and producer) in New York City, New York. Other members were David Grisman (a noted mandolinist), ...

and in The Mugwumps, which split to form

the Lovin' Spoonful The Lovin' Spoonful is an American rock band popular during the mid- to late-1960s. Founded in New York City in 1965 by lead singer/songwriter John Sebastian and guitarist Zal Yanovsky, the band is widely known for a number of hits, including ...

and the Mamas & the Papas.

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

invited him to play bass on his ''

Bringing It All Back Home ''Bringing It All Back Home'' (known as ''Subterranean Homesick Blues'' in some European countries; sometimes also spelled ''Bringin' It All Back Home'') is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was released in Apri ...

'' sessions (though Sebastian's parts probably did not appear on the album) and to join Dylan's new electric touring band, but Sebastian declined in order to concentrate on his own project, the Lovin' Spoonful.

The Lovin' Spoonful

Sebastian was joined by

Zal Yanovsky Zalman Yanovsky (December 19, 1944 – December 13, 2002) was a Canadian folk-rock musician. Born in Toronto, he was the son of political cartoonist Avrom Yanovsky and teacher Nechama Yanovsky (née Gemeril), who died in 1958. He played lead guit ...

Steve Boone Steve Boone (born September 23, 1943, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina) is an American bass guitarist and music producer, who is both a founding member and current member of the folk-rock group The Lovin' Spoonful. Steve co-wrote two of the groups' ...

, and

Joe Butler Joseph Campbell Butler (born September 16, 1941) is an American drummer and stage actor. He was a founding member of The Lovin' Spoonful, who had seven top 10 hits between 1965 and 1966. Early life Joe Butler was born on September 16, 1941, ...

in the Spoonful, which was named after "The Coffee Blues," a Mississippi John Hurt song.

, which blended folk-rock and pop with elements of blues,

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

, and jug band music, became part of the American response to the

British Invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of British culture became popular in the United States and significant to the rising "counterculture" on ...

, and was noted for such hits as " Do You Believe in Magic", "Jug Band Music", "

You Didn't Have to Be So Nice "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice" is a song by American rock band the Lovin' Spoonful. It was issued on a non-album single in November 1965 and reached number 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in January 1966. The song was later included the band's M ...

", "

Daydream Daydreaming is the stream of consciousness that detaches from current, external tasks when attention drifts to a more personal and internal direction. This phenomenon is common in people's daily life shown by a large-scale study in which partici ...

", " Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?", " Summer in the City", "Rain on the Roof", "Nashville Cats", "

Darling Be Home Soon "Darlin' Be Home Soon" (or "Darling Be Home Soon") is a song written by John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful for the soundtrack of the 1966 Francis Ford Coppola film ''You're a Big Boy Now''. It appeared on the Lovin' Spoonful's 1967 soundtrack a ...

", and "Six O'Clock". The band, however, began to implode after a 1967 marijuana bust in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

involving Yanovsky, a Canadian citizen. Facing

deportation Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. The term ''expulsion'' is often used as a synonym for deportation, though expulsion is more often used in the context of international law, while deportation ...

, he revealed the name of his dealer to police, which caused a fan backlash and added to the internal tension already created by the band members' diverging interests. Neither Sebastian nor Butler was involved in the matter, both being away from San Francisco at the time. Yanovsky subsequently left the band and was replaced by

Jerry Yester Jerome Alan Yester (born January 9, 1943) is an American folk rock musician, record producer, and arranger. Biography Yester was born in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, and grew up in Burbank, California. He formed a duo with brother ...

, after which the band's musical style veered away from its previous eclectic blend and became more pop-oriented.Boone, Steve, with Tony Moss. ''Hotter Than a Match Head: My Life On the Run with The Lovin' Spoonful''. ECW Press, 2014. .Kiersh, Edward
''Where Are You Now, Bo Diddley? The Artists Who Made Us Rock and Where They Are Now.''
Doubleday, 1986, p. 36–37. . Sebastian left the Lovin' Spoonful in 1968 and did not play with any later versions of the band, except for a brief reunion with the other three original members to appear in Paul Simon's 1980 film '' One-Trick Pony'', and again for a single performance at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2000.

Solo career 1960s–1970s

Broadway musical composer

One of Sebastian's first projects after leaving the Spoonful was composing the music and lyrics for a play with music, ''

Jimmy Shine ''Jimmy Shine'' is a play with music. It was written by Murray Schisgal with music and lyrics by John Sebastian. The plot centers on its title character who is a struggling artist in Greenwich Village during the 1960s. Much of the story follows J ...

'', written by

Murray Schisgal Murray Joseph Schisgal (November 25, 1926 – October 1, 2020) was an American playwright and screenwriter. Life and career Schisgal was born in Brooklyn, New York City. He was the son of Jewish immigrants, Irene (Sperling), a bank clerk, and Ab ...

. It opened on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in December 1968, with

Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is ...

in the title role, and ran until April 1969, for a total of over 150 performances. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Sebastian himself wrote a stage musical adaptation of

E.B. White Elwyn Brooks White (July 11, 1899 – October 1, 1985) was an American writer. He was the author of several highly popular books for children, including ''Stuart Little'' (1945), '' Charlotte's Web'' (1952), and ''The Trumpet of the Swan'' ...

's '' Charlotte's Web'' in consultation with his godfather Garth Williams, who illustrated White's original book. The proposed musical included 20 songs, some of which Sebastian performed in concert, but the musical was never produced.

Woodstock appearance

In August 1969, Sebastian made an unscheduled appearance at

Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aq ...

. He traveled to the festival as a spectator, but was asked to appear when the organizers suddenly needed an acoustic performer after a rain break because they couldn't set up amps on stage for

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer Boats * Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...

until the water was swept off. Sources that have tried to reconstruct the Woodstock running order differ on the exact time and position of Sebastian's unplanned set, with some stating that he played on Saturday, August 16, immediately after Country Joe McDonald; others saying that on that Saturday, Santana followed McDonald and Sebastian appeared after Santana; and still others, including McDonald, recalling that Sebastian actually played on Friday, August 15, at some point after Richie Havens opened the festival.Fornatale, Pete
''Back to the Garden: The Story of Woodstock.''
Touchstone, 2009, p. 49–50. . Sebastian's Woodstock set consisted of three songs from his recorded but not yet released '' John B. Sebastian'' album ("How Have You Been", "I Had a Dream", and "Rainbows All Over Your Blues") and two Lovin' Spoonful songs ("

" and "Younger Generation", which he dedicated to a newborn baby at the festival). Documentary remarks by festival organizers indicated that Sebastian was under the influence of marijuana or other psychedelic drugs at the time, hence his spontaneity and casual, unplanned set. Sebastian has confirmed in later interviews that he was a regular marijuana user at the time and had taken acid at Woodstock because he was not scheduled to perform.Bermant, Charles, "John Sebastian's Spoonful of Magic"
originally published at sonicboomers.com, March 26, 2010, archived at archive.org, March 27, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2015. However, he has also noted that "there was a natural high there t Woodstock" and that " an interview it is the easy thing to say 'yeah, I was really high,' but it was actually a very small part of the event. In fact, I had a small part of some pill that someone gave me before I went on stage, but it wasn't a real acid feeling." Sebastian appeared on the original Woodstock album and in the

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...

. Twenty-five years later, he returned for

Woodstock '94 Woodstock '94 was an American music festival held in 1994 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock festival of 1969. It was promoted as "2 More Days of Peace and Music". The poster used to promote the first concert was r ...

, playing harmonica for

Crosby, Stills and Nash Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) were a folk rock supergroup made up of American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young as a fourth member, ...

and appearing with his own band, the J-Band. In September 1969, a month after Woodstock, Sebastian performed a similar set of solo and Spoonful material at the 1969

Big Sur Folk Festival The Big Sur Folk Festival, held from 1964 to 1971 in California, was an informal gathering of prominent and emerging folk artists from across the United States. Nancy Jane Carlen (1941-2013) was working at the Esalen Institute when Joan Baez was ...

and was featured in the subsequent documentary '' Celebration at Big Sur'' (1971).

Major-label solo recordings

In January 1970, Sebastian released the first in a series of solo LPs on Reprise Records (a label owned by

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

), his

eponymous An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

solo debut, '' John B. Sebastian'', on which he was accompanied by various

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

musicians including

Crosby, Stills & Nash Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) were a folk rock supergroup made up of American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young as a fourth member ...

. It was Sebastian's highest-charting solo album, reaching No. 20 in the

Billboard album charts ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the musi ...

. In a contract dispute with MGM Records, MGM, without authorization from Sebastian or his management, also released the ''John B. Sebastian'' album, under a different cover, and a live album, '' John Sebastian Live''; both were later withdrawn from the market. Sebastian's second Reprise album, ''Cheapo Cheapo Productions Presents Real Live John Sebastian'', was hastily recorded in an effort to provide an authorized live album.Unterberger, Richie
"Liner Notes for John Sebastian's 'John B. Sebastian'" (Collector's Choice Music reissue CD)
richieunterberger.com. Retrieved June 5, 2015.Unterberger, Richie

richieunterberger.com. Retrieved June 5, 2015. For his third Reprise album, ''The Four of Us'' (1971), Sebastian used a core backing band consisting of keyboardist Paul Harris, drummer Dallas Taylor and bassist Kenny Altman. He considered forming a permanent band with them, but Harris and Taylor chose to join Stephen Stills's band Manassas.Unterberger, Richie
"Liner Notes for John Sebastian's 'The Four of Us'" (Collector's Choice Music reissue CD)
richieunterberger.com. Retrieved June 5, 2015. In 1972, Sebastian also released a non-LP single, "Give Us a Break" b/w "Music for People Who Don't Speak English", which did not chart. On his next album, ''

Tarzana Kid ''Tarzana Kid'' is an album by American singer-songwriter John Sebastian, released in 1974. The album was a commercial failure and did not chart. His Welcome Back (John Sebastian album), next album which featured "Welcome Back (John Sebastian song ...

'' (1974), Sebastian returned to using a rotating group of well-known recording artists and session musicians, including

Lowell George Lowell Thomas George (April 13, 1945 – June 29, 1979) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer, who was the primary guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and founder/leader for the rock band Little Feat. Ear ...

(who also co-wrote, with Sebastian, the album track "Face of Appalachia"),

Phil Everly The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 1939 ...

, Emmylou Harris, the Pointer Sisters, David Grisman,

Russell DaShiell Russell DaShiell (born July 23, 1947) is an American guitarist who has recorded as a solo artist as well as playing in bands such as Crowfoot and the Don Harrison Band, and with Harvey Mandel, Phil Everly and Norman Greenbaum. Russell was also on ...

, Ry Cooder and Buddy Emmons. Sebastian, George and Everly also briefly considered forming a supergroup but abandoned the idea.Unterberger, Richie
"Liner Notes for John Sebastian's 'Tarzana Kid'" (Collector's Choice Music reissue CD)
richieunterberger.com. Retrieved June 5, 2015. Sebastian has stated that his musical career suffered in the early 1970s from being out of step with the trends set by emerging artists such as

Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...

, and that he made more money by buying and selling real estate than he did from his music. After ''Tarzana Kid'' failed to chart, Sebastian sought a release from his Reprise contract, which required him to make one more album. However, in 1976, Sebastian had an unexpected No. 1 single with " Welcome Back", the

theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...

to the sitcom ''

Welcome Back, Kotter ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' is an American sitcom starring Gabe Kaplan as a high-school teacher in charge of a racially and ethnically diverse remedial education class called the "Sweathogs." Recorded in front of a live studio audience, the seri ...

'', causing the label to rush the production of an album, also titled '' Welcome Back''. Despite the "monster hit" status of the song "Welcome Back", Sebastian expressed frustration that Reprise did not do more to promote the associated album, his last for Reprise.Unterberger, Richie
"Liner Notes for John Sebastian's 'Welcome Back'" (Collector's Choice Music reissue CD)
richieunterberger.com. Retrieved June 5, 2015. His later albums have been released primarily on

independent record labels An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represente ...

. The song, Sebastian's only top-40 solo hit, found new life 28 years later when a sample from it became the hook for

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

Mase Mason Durell Betha (born August 27, 1975), better known by his mononym Mase (formerly Murda Mase and stylized as Ma$e), is an American rapper and minister. In the late 1990s, he recorded on the Bad Boy Records label alongside its founder Sean ...

's 2004 hit " Welcome Back". In 2001,

Rhino Entertainment Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company founded in 1978. It is currently the catalog division for Warner Music Group. Its current CEO is Mark Pinkus. History Founded in 1978, Rhino was originall ...

re-released all five of Sebastian's Reprise albums, plus the non-LP "Give Us a Break" single, on CD in a limited-edition box set entitled ''Faithful Virtue: The Reprise Recordings''. The box set also included live recordings of Sebastian's entire Woodstock performance and six previously unreleased songs recorded in mono from a performance at the

Winterland Ballroom Winterland Ballroom (more commonly known as Winterland Arena or simply Winterland) was an ice skating rink and music venue in San Francisco, California. The arena was located at the corner of Post Street and Steiner Street. It was converted for ...

on October 4, 1969. In 2006, Sebastian's five Reprise albums were reissued as individual CDs by

Collectors' Choice Music Collectors' Choice Music (CCM) is an Itasca, Illinois, company originally primarily in two businesses, but since 2010 only in the second. CCM was best known for reissuing albums originally recorded in LP record form as compact disc The com ...

, with new liner notes by

Richie Unterberger Richie Unterberger (born January 19, 1962) is an American author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing. Life and writing Unterberger attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he wrote for the university newspaper '' ...

Session work

During the 1960s and 1970s, Sebastian guested on a number of recordings by other artists. He played harmonica with

the Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...

on the song "

Roadhouse Blues "Roadhouse Blues" is a song by the American rock band the Doors from their 1970 album '' Morrison Hotel''. It was released as the B-side of "You Make Me Real", which peaked at No. 50 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "Roadhouse Blues" charted ...

" (from the album ''

Morrison Hotel ''Morrison Hotel'' is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Doors, released on February 9, 1970, by Elektra Records. After the use of brass and string arrangements recommended by producer Paul A. Rothchild on their previous album, ...

''), under the pseudonym G. Pugliese to avoid problems with his contract and to avoid association with

Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, poet and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, unpredictable and err ...

, who was then facing trial on charges of lewd behavior after the Miami concert incident. He also appeared on two Doors live albums, playing on "

Little Red Rooster "Little Red Rooster" (or "The Red Rooster" as it was first titled) is a blues standard credited to arranger and songwriter Willie Dixon. The song was first recorded in 1961 by American blues musician Howlin' Wolf in the Chicago blues style. His ...

" on ''

Alive, She Cried ''Alive, She Cried'' is the second official live album by the American rock band the Doors, released in October 1983 by Elektra. It was the second live album release following 1970's '' Absolutely Live'' and produced by Paul A. Rothchild. The a ...

'' and on seven songs on '' Live in Detroit''. Both albums were later re-released, remastered, and repackaged into one single album, '' In Concert'', and included Morrison's introduction of Sebastian to the stage on the "Little Red Rooster" track. Sebastian is credited with playing three instruments on the 1970 Gordon Lightfoot album, ''

Sit Down Young Stranger ''Sit Down Young Stranger'' is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's fifth studio album and his best-selling original album. Shortly after its 1970 release on the Reprise Records label, it was renamed ''If You Could Read My Mind'' when the song of ...

'' (Reprise RS 6392). He played autoharp on "Saturday Clothes", electric guitar on "Baby It's Allright", and harmonica on "The Pony Man". The album was later retitled ''

If You Could Read My Mind "If You Could Read My Mind" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. Lightfoot wrote the lyrics while he was reflecting on his own divorce. It reached 1 on the Canadian Singles Chart on commercial release in 1970 and charted in ...

'' when the song of that name unexpectedly became a major hit. Sebastian is credited with playing harmonica on

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) were a folk rock supergroup made up of American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young as a fourth member ...

's song "Déjà Vu" from the album of the same name. He had previously been asked by

to join their group as a fourth member, but turned them down, leading to their association with

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fur ...

. In 1977 he recorded as part of Artie and

Happy Traum Happy Traum (born Harry Peter Traum, May 9, 1938, The Bronx, New York) is an American folk musician who started playing music in the 1950s and became a stalwart of the Greenwich Village music scene of the 1960s and the Woodstock music scene of t ...

's Woodstock Mountain Revue (a.k.a. Woodstock Mountains) folk collaboration for the album ''More Music From Mud Acres''. Other records on which Sebastian appeared include the album '' Stephen Stills'' (1970),

Timothy Leary Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American psychologist and author known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs. Evaluations of Leary are polarized, ranging from bold oracle to publicity hound. He was "a her ...

's album '' You Can Be Anyone This Time Around'' (1970) (on which Sebastian jammed with

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

), and

Keith Moon Keith John Moon (23 August 19467 September 1978) was an English drummer for the rock band the Who. He was noted for his unique style of playing and his eccentric, often self-destructive behaviour and addiction to drugs and alcohol. Moon grew ...

's only solo album, ''

Two Sides of the Moon ''Two Sides of the Moon'' is the only solo album by English rock musician Keith Moon, drummer for the Who. It peaked at No. 155 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album title was credited to Ringo Starr. Rather than using the album as a chance to ...

'' (1975). He also played the autoharp instrumental break between the second and third verses of

Randy VanWarmer Randy VanWarmer (also written as Vanwarmer, Van Warmer; March 30, 1955 – January 12, 2004) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His biggest success was the pop hit, "Just When I Needed You Most". It reached No. 8 on the UK Single ...

's 1979 hit "

Just When I Needed You Most "Just When I Needed You Most" is the title of a 1979 hit single by the American singer-songwriter Randy VanWarmer. Background VanWarmer was inspired to write "Just When I Needed You Most" by two events: his old car, that he loved and used for ...

Later career

Since the 1980s, Sebastian has been active in several music-related areas, not only writing and performing his own material but also performing roots music, developing soundtrack and instructional material, hosting and appearing on television programs, and writing a children's book about a harmonica-playing bear.

Live performances

Sebastian has continued to tour and play live, both solo and with a variety of backing bands. He had a long association with the eclectic rock band

NRBQ NRBQ is an American rock band founded by Terry Adams (piano), Steve Ferguson (guitar) and Joey Spampinato (bass). Originally the "New Rhythm and Blues Quintet", the group was formed around 1965. Adams disbanded it for a time, and the group re-f ...

, dating back to the early 1980s, when he played on NRBQ's album ''Grooves in Orbit'' (1983). He has said that NRBQ "to a large extent, picked up where The Lovin' Spoonful left off" because of NRBQ's "wide range of musical styles that they're not only able but accurate at playing," and he expressed appreciation for NRBQ's support during a low point in his career. In turn, Sebastian helped NRBQ by using them on his own Nelvana and Disney Channel soundtrack projects during a period when litigation prevented them from recording. Sebastian has used NRBQ as his own backing band, appeared regularly at their concerts, and recorded frequently with the band members, and NRBQ founding member Terry Adams refers to Sebastian as an "honorary member" of the band. Although he performed Lovin' Spoonful songs solo and with NRBQ (who were themselves promoted in the 1980s as "the new Lovin' Spoonful"), he declined to reunite with several former Spoonful members in 1991.Larkin, Colin
''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 5th Concise Edition.''
Omnibus Press, 2011, p. 2714. . Throughout the 1990s, Sebastian frequently appeared with the J-Band, a

jug band A jug band is a band employing a jug player and a mix of conventional and homemade instruments. These homemade instruments are ordinary objects adapted to or modified for making sound, like the washtub bass, washboard, spoons, bones, stovepi ...

including

Fritz Richmond John B. "Fritz" Richmond (July 10, 1939 – November 20, 2005) was an American musician and recording engineer. Richmond was a washtub bassist and was also a professional jug player. Richmond, born in Newton, Massachusetts on July 10, 1939, was ...

from the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, jug band pioneer

Yank Rachell Yank Rachell (born James A. Rachel; March 16, 1903 or 1910 – April 9, 1997) was an American country blues musician who has been called an "elder statesman of the blues". His career as a performer spanned nearly seventy years, from the late 19 ...

, Jimmy Vivino, and

Geoff Muldaur Geoff Muldaur (born August 12, 1943) is an American active singer, guitarist and composer, who was a founding member of the Jim Kweskin Jug Band and a member of Paul Butterfield's Better Days. Career Having established a reputation with the Kwe ...

. Sebastian and the J-Band were featured in ''Chasin' Gus' Ghost'' (2007), a documentary about the roots and influence of jug band music. The film screened in August 2007 at the San Francisco Jug Band Festival (where Sebastian performed with other musicians featured in the film, including

, Maria Muldaur,

Jim Kweskin Jim Kweskin (born July 18, 1940, Stamford, Connecticut) is an American folk, jazz, and blues musician, most notable as the founder of the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, also known as Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band, with Fritz Richmond, Geoff Muldaur, Bob S ...

and David Grisman) and made its film festival debut in October 2007 at the

Woodstock Film Festival The Woodstock Film Festival is an American film festival that was launched in 2000 by filmmakers Meira Blaustein and Laurent Rejto with the goal to bring high quality independent film to the Hudson Valley region. The festival takes place each fa ...

. In the film Sebastian humorously explains (with musical accompaniment) how his song, "Younger Girl", was inspired by

Gus Cannon Gustavus "Gus" Cannon (September 12, 1883 or 1884 – October 15, 1979) was an American blues musician who helped to popularize jug bands (such as his own Cannon's Jug Stompers) in the 1920s and 1930s. There is uncertainty about his birth year; ...

's "Prison Wall Blues." Sebastian's live performances in the 2000s have included performing as a trio with country blues duo Paul Rishell and Annie Raines in 2002; touring with Maria Muldaur and her Garden of Joy jug band in 2009; and occasional appearances with mandolinist David Grisman, with whom Sebastian played in the

in the 1960s and more recently collaborated on a CD album release, '' Satisfied''. John Sebastian in 2011

Record releases

After leaving Reprise, Sebastian continued to occasionally release CD albums through a variety of small labels. Although a number of these releases consisted of compilations or live performances of his older material from the 1960s and 1970s, some, such as ''Tar Beach'' ( Shanachie, 1993) and '' Satisfied'' (with David Grisman) (Acoustic Disc, 2007) have contained significant new recordings. ''Tar Beach'' in particular contained eleven previously unreleased songs written or co-written by Sebastian; four songs were composed by the team of Sebastian and songwriter Phil Galdston, with whom Sebastian also collaborated on the score for the

Sig Shore Sig Shore (May 13, 1919 – August 17, 2006) was an American film director and producer. His 1972 film '' Super Fly'' is considered one of the first blaxploitation films. Biography Shore was born in Harlem, New York and grew up in The Bronx. ...

-directed feature film '' The Act'' (1984). According to

Colin Larkin Colin Larkin (born 1949) is a British writer and entrepreneur. He founded, and was the editor-in-chief of, the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', described by ''The Times'' as "the standard against which all others must be judged". Along wit ...

, Sebastian had written many of the songs that appeared on ''Tar Beach'' more than a decade prior to the album's release. Two later releases, ''I Want My Roots'' (Music Masters, 1996) and ''Chasin' Gus' Ghost'' (Hollywood, 2000), focused on Sebastian's work with the J-Band.

Soundtrack work

Sebastian is a frequent contributor to film and TV soundtracks. In particular, he has written and performed music for a number of children's films and TV productions. He wrote the music and provided the singing voice of "Daniel Mouse" for the Canada-based Nelvana animated television special '' The Devil and Daniel Mouse'' (1978) about two mice attempting to succeed in the music business. He supplied music for several more Nelvana productions, including '' Strawberry Shortcake: Housewarming Surprise'' (1983), ''

Strawberry Shortcake Meets the Berrykins ''Strawberry Shortcake Meets the Berrykins'' is a 1985 American animated television special that premiered on March 29, 1985. This is the third and final Strawberry Shortcake television special from Nelvana and the last one to feature the American ...

'' (1985), ''

The Care Bears Movie ''The Care Bears Movie'' is a 1985 animated musical fantasy film directed by Arna Selznick from a screenplay by Peter Sauder. This was the second feature film from the Canadian animation studio Nelvana (after the 1983 film ''Rock & Rule''), ...

'' (1985), ''

The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland ''The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland'' is a 1987 animated musical fantasy film and the third theatrically released film in the Care Bears franchise. It was released in the United States and Canada on August 7, 1987, by Cineplex Odeon Films, ...

'' (1987), and "Care Bear Countdown", the theme song for Nelvana's ''

The Care Bears Family ''The Care Bears Family'' is a Canadian animated series produced by Nelvana based on the franchise of the same name, and is the successor series to the series produced by DIC Entertainment. It was originally broadcast from September 13, 1986 to ...

'' TV series. He also wrote and sang the theme song/narration for Nelvana's TV pilot ''

The Get Along Gang ''The Get Along Gang'' is a group of characters created in 1983 by Tony Byrd, Tom Jacobs, Ralph Shaffer, Linda Edwards, Muriel Fahrion, and Mark Spangler for American Greetings' toy design and licensing division, "Those Characters from Cleveland" ( ...

''; however, none of it was kept when

DIC Entertainment DIC Entertainment Corporation (; also known as DIC Audiovisuel, DIC Enterprises, DIC Animation City, DIC Entertainment, L.P., and DIC Productions), branded as The Incredible World of DIC, was an international film and television production com ...

took over the project. He wrote and performed the theme song of the KNBC syndicated children's program ''

That's Cat ''That's Cat'' was a children's television show that premiered on Saturday, September 18, 1976.Lee Margulies, "Bright Show for School-Age Set," ''Los Angeles Times'', Sept. 18, 1976. It was both produced by and aired on KNBC, the NBC owned and op ...

'' (1976–1979), and hosted a 1986 Disney Channel family special entitled ''What a Day for a Daydream''.

Television presenter

Since the 1980s, Sebastian has hosted several television programs about 1960s and 1970s music, including paid programs for compilation sets, a syndicated live music and interview program called ''Deja View'', and a half-hour program called ''The Golden Age of Rock and Roll,'' which featured video footage of 1960s bands performing on variety shows. He also hosted a Lovin' Spoonful retrospective broadcast on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

in March 2007, talking about various Spoonful numbers in between vintage video clips of the band up to the time he left.

Children's book author

In 1993, Sebastian authored a children's book, ''JB's Harmonica'', illustrated by his godfather

, about a young bear whose musical aspirations are overshadowed by the talents of his famous musician father.

Instructor at Homespun Tapes

Sebastian has released a series of instructional DVDs, CDs, downloads, booklets, and (prior to the use of digital media) analog tapes for learning to play guitar, harmonica, and autoharp, or for learning specific styles or songs. These instructional materials are distributed by Homespun Tapes, a company founded and operated by folk musician

. Materials offered with Sebastian as an instructor have included ''An Easy Guide to Tuning Your Guitar'', ''John Sebastian Teaches Eight Lovin' Spoonful Hits (and "Welcome Back")'', ''John Sebastian Teaches Blues Harmonica'', ''Learn to Play Autoharp'', and ''The Fingerpicking Blues of Mississippi John Hurt: A Spoonful of Classic Songs''.

Other appearances and activities

In November 1992, Sebastian made a cameo appearance on the sitcom '' Married... with Children'' (Season 7, Episode 9, "Rock of Ages") as himself, along with other 1960s rock stars

Spencer Davis Spencer Davis (born Spencer David Nelson Davies; 17 July 193919 October 2020) was a Welsh singer and musician. He founded The Spencer Davis Group, a band that had several hits in the 1960s including "Keep On Running", "Gimme Some Lovin'", and ...

, Richie Havens,

Robby Krieger Robert Alan Krieger (born January 8, 1946) is an American guitarist and founding member of the rock band the Doors. Krieger wrote or co-wrote many of the Doors' songs, including the hits " Light My Fire", " Love Me Two Times", " Touch Me", and ...

Mark Lindsay Mark Lindsay (born March 9, 1942) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer of Paul Revere & the Raiders. Early life Lindsay was born in Eugene, Oregon, and was the second of eight children of George and Esther Ellis Lindsay. The ...

, and

Peter Noone Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone (born 5 November 1947) is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist and actor. He was the lead singer "Herman" in the 1960s pop group Herman's Hermits. Early life Noone was born in Davyhulme, Lancashir ...

. Sebastian appeared on

Eels Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...

' 2005 release, '' Blinking Lights and Other Revelations''. On January 12, 2014, Sebastian appeared on '' CBS News Sunday Morning'' to talk about his career with and without

, Eric Clapton, and the Martin guitar. In 2016, Sebastian appeared on

Richard Barone Richard Barone is an American rock musician who first gained attention as frontman for the Bongos. He works as a songwriter, arranger, author, director, and record producer, releases albums as a solo artist, tours, and has created concert event ...

's ''Sorrows & Promises: Greenwich Village in the 1960s'' album, playing harmonica, autoharp and making a vocal cameo on Barone's cover of the Lovin' Spoonful song "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?".

Influence and legacy

Sebastian is a notable songwriter whose work has been

covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

by many artists, including Elvis Costello ("The Room Nobody Lives In"), Johnny Cash ("Darlin' Companion"), and Del McCoury ("Nashville Cats"). Several songs have also spawned multiple covers, including: * "Lovin' You" – covered by Dolly Parton, Helen Reddy, and Bobby Darin; * "Stories We Could Tell" – covered by Everly Brothers, The Everly Brothers, Tom Petty, and Jimmy Buffett; * "Darlin' Be Home Soon" – covered by Joe Cocker, The Association, Slade, Cass Elliot, Bruce Hornsby, Allison Crowe, and others. Sebastian is also credited with helping to popularize the art of tie-dyeing clothing among music fans and festival goers in the late 1960s, by publicly appearing in outfits that he tie-dyed himself after learning the process from Ann Thomas of Water Baby Dye Works. His tie-dyed yellow patterned denim jacket, which he dyed himself and wore at Woodstock, has been prominently displayed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ''Stories We Could Tell'', the title of a novel by British writer Tony Parsons (British journalist), Tony Parsons, comes from the Sebastian song of the same name.

Awards and honors

As an original member of the Lovin' Spoonful, Sebastian was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008.

Personal life

Sebastian has been married three times. His first wife was Jean "Butchie" Webber (later known as Butchie Denver after she married actor Bob Denver). According to Steve Boone, Butchie was an early supporter and friend of the Lovin' Spoonful's who secretly married Sebastian in the early 1960s to reduce his chances of being Conscription in the United States#Vietnam War, drafted for service in the Vietnam War. The couple divorced in 1966. That same year, Sebastian married Loretta "Lorey" Kaye, a waitress at Steve Paul's The Scene (performance venue), The Scene who later worked for ''Hit Parader'' magazine; they divorced in 1968. In 1972, Sebastian married Catherine Barnett, a photographer and artist who has designed numerous album covers. The couple have two children together. Since the early 1990s, Sebastian has struggled with throat problems that eventually affected and changed his singing voice, but he has continued to perform and tour.Brend, Mark
''American Troubadours: Groundbreaking Singer Songwriters of the 60s.''
Backbeat Books, 2001, p. 172. .

Solo discography

Original U.S. singles

Original Studio and Live Albums

Selected Reissues, Compilations, and Archival Live Albums

Much of Sebastian's material, especially his 1970s Reprise albums and the 1996 ''King Biscuit Flower Hour'' live recording, has been reissued and/or repackaged many times; therefore, this table is selective. Sebastian has also released various formats and packages of long-playing instructional materials for Homespun Tapes, which are not included in this table.

Contributions to "various artists" albums

This table lists songs written or performed by Sebastian that were originally released on — and in many cases, are only available on — compilations or collaborations of various artists, including but not limited to soundtrack albums. Contributions as a guest on albums released under the name of a specific artist or group are not included.

References

External links

*
Illustrated Even Dozen Jug Band discography

Chasin' Gus' Chost jug band documentary
*
John Sebastian Interview - NAMM Oral History Library (2016)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sebastian, John 1944 births 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers American country harmonica players American folk singers American folk guitarists American male guitarists American blues harmonica players American harmonica players American blues guitarists American male singer-songwriters American musical theatre composers American musical theatre lyricists American rock guitarists American rock songwriters American rock singers American people of Italian descent Eels (band) members Folk musicians from New York (state) Living people People from Greenwich Village Rock harmonica players Singers from New York City The Lovin' Spoonful members Autoharp players Blair Academy alumni Reprise Records artists Guitarists from New York City 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American guitarists Even Dozen Jug Band members Singer-songwriters from New York (state)