Jim Cheng

USA TODAY

Mac Rebennack, aka Dr. John the Night Tripper, brought the bayou to the bandstand and the funk to the masses. His music, spiced with his gravelly vocals, was a gumbo of blues, R&B, rock and with a bit of New Orleans voodoo thrown in for good measure.

Though he didn’t have many hit records, Rebennack, who died of a heart attack Thursday at age 77, was a living symbol of New Orleans and its vast musical heritage.

“You cannot separate Dr. John from New Orleans. He’s like Louis Armstrong. He’s like a cultural ambassador,” music writer Michael Hurtt told the Associated Press in 2005. “He’s basically packaged this culture he came out of with a lot of nuances that are pretty subtle.”

Karen Dalton Beninato, the musician's longtime publicist, confirmed his death to USA TODAY and shared a statement from his family: "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."

Born in New Orleans, Rebennack was a session musician in the 1950s, playing guitar and bass, later switching to piano after he injured his left ring finger protecting his bandmate, Ronnie Barron, from gunfire.

He grew up surrounded by music. His father’s record store, near Dillard University, carried records by blues, jazz, R&B, gospel and hillbilly artists.

“It was a special time in New Orleans in the ’40s, and I was real blessed,” he told USA TODAY in 2000. "I've always been discouraged by the music that is 'big stuff.' I get disheartened when some young musician says he's learned the blues from the Rolling Stones or Eric Clapton. You got to go back a little further, to the real guys."

Rebennack branched out as a bandleader, breaking out with 1972’s "Gumbo" and 1973’s "In the Right Place." The single "Right Place, Wrong Time" reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, his only Top 10 hit.

He continued his session work, playing piano on such hits as the Carly Simon and James Taylor duet "Mockingbird" in 1974. He also contributed the song "More and More" to Simon’s "Playing Possum" album.

His distinctive voice and style were behind Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuits promos as well as the theme song ("My Opinionation") for the ’90s NBC sitcom "Blossom."

Rebennack’s movie credits include Martin Scorsese’s "The Last Waltz," "Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band," "Blues Brothers 2000" and Disney's "The Princess and the Frog."

He also wrote and performed the score for the 1982 film adaptation of John Steinbeck’s "Cannery Row."

Although he worked steadily, his record sales were uneven.

"I obviously don't hit with the majority of the public, and I don't think I ever did, and I ain't gonna worry about it too hard," Rebennack told USA TODAY.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Rebennack was outspoken in his criticism of the local and federal government. But he also let his music do the talking.

“We played so many benefits that my band was about to go broke,” Rebennack told the Rocky Mountain News in 2006, noting, “I’m a scuffling musician.”

In September 2005, he performed Bobby Charles’ "Walkin’ to New Orleans," a song made famous by Fats Domino, to close the "Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast" telethon.

In November 2005, he released a four-song EP, "Sippiana Hericane," to benefit New Orleans Musicians Clinic, Salvation Army, and the Jazz Foundation of America.

He joined fellow New Orleans native Aaron Neville, Detroit's Aretha Franklin and a 150-member choir on Feb. 5, 2006, for the national anthem at Super Bowl XL as part of a pre-game tribute to New Orleans.

In 2011, Rebennack was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2013 he won his sixth Grammy Award, for blues album "Locked Down." In December 2017, after steadily playing shows for six decades, the musician canceled concerts and then sat out the 2018 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, an event he'd been playing for years.

There's a chance he took a break to go fishing.

"Maybe if I make a whole lot of money, I'll get me an easy-access fishing spot back in New Orleans," he said in 2000. "I like sitting on a boat, just tripping on the water. I don't care if I catch anything. It's my way of meditating."

Stars in the music world and beyond were quick to post their memories of the legendary musician.

Ringo Starr, who played with Rebennack in his first All-Starr Band, sent "peace and love to all his family."

Debbie Harry of Blondie posted a black-and-white photo of herself with Dr. John and said simply, "RIP Mac Rebennack."

R.E.M.'s Mike Mills noted, "It's been a terrible week for music fans" – Leon Redbone died on May 30; Roky Erickson on May 31.

Dr. John's "presence was strong, and will be missed," Mills wrote.

Actor Harry Shearer, probably most famous for lending his voice to characters on "The Simpsons," tweeted that, "New Orleans just lost a giant. Second one, after the recent passing of Leah Chase." (The chef known as the queen of Creole cuisine died June 1.) He followed with a second tweet recommending a playlist of Dr. John music.

And Ellen DeGeneres said, "Tonight my heart is in New Orleans."

Contributing: Edna Gundersen