Throughout his six-decade long career, Dr. John embodied a near-mythic multitude of musical identities: global ambassador of New Orleans funk, jazz, and R&B, visionary bluesman, rock n’ roll innovator, and a massively revered high priest of psychedelic voodoo.
On Things Happen That Way, his final studio album, the six-time Grammy-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer reveals yet another dimension of his cosmically vast musicality - a lifelong affinity for classic country & western music.The album arrives from an artist who remained wholly unpredictable, alchemizing the charmed simplicity of traditional country into a wildly enchanting body of work. It's a glorious farewell from one of the most essential figures in music history.
Whether you’re a longtime fan or just discovering the good doctor today, all it takes is one listen to the first single, a haunting and hypnotic new rendition of “I Walk On Guilded Splinters,” which originally appeared on Dr. John’s groundbreaking 1968 debut Gris-Gris, and you’ll be hooked. Country-rock powerhouse Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real joined Dr. John for the newly recorded version of the classic track and had this to say about working with the legend: “It’s a great honor to attempt to interpret the work of Dr. John, his music has inspired me since childhood. He was a friend to many, and we all miss him dearly. His music is medicine.”