What's up, Doc?
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4/3/2008 - 4/4/08
What's up, Doc?While the medical credentials of Dr. John are highly suspect, he is far from the only
musician to make such claims. Here is a whole hospital wing full of doctors that you probably wouldn't want to have operating on you but might make for a nice playlist in your iPod.
Doc Pomus Arguably one of the most successful Jewish blues singers of all time, Jerome Solon Felder eventually switched to songwriting and composing. He co-wrote classics like "Save the Last Dance for Me," "Viva Las Vegas," "This Magic Moment," and one of my favorite Elvis hits, "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame."
Doc Severinsen For a while, Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen had one of the best gigs in America — musical director of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He participated in his share of comic interplay on the show but mainly used the format to help bring big-band jazz to a new audience. A little-known fact (except, perhaps, to Robert Nott): Severinsen co-scored the 1961 sexploitation film Nude on the Moon.
Doc Watson Allegedly, a fan gave Arthel Lane Watson the nickname "Doc" as a joke, in
reference to Sherlock Holmes' pal. The joke stuck, as the musician has been making
the guitar seem "elementary" for more than 50 years. Along the way, he's become one of the true legends of country, bluegrass, and folk music.
Dr. Demento He's not a musician, but it's tough to imagine the world of music without the contributions of Dr. Demento (aka Barret Eugene Hansen) and his radio program of obscure oddities and odd obscurities. "Weird Al" Yankovic (one of Hansen's inventions) probably wouldn't have a career, and kids everywhere might not be aware that dead puppies are no fun and you shouldn't eat yellow snow. Demento has been working in radio since the early 1970s and is still on the air.
Dr. Dog This Philadelphia band hasn't had much mainstream success but is well-respected in indie-rock and pop circles. It's the rare band to get a remix from Beck. And Dr. Dog also happens to have one of the best names around, even if initially it caused the band to be mistaken for a rap group.
Dr. Dre As part of seminal group N.W.A., Dr. Dre (born André Romelle Young) is one of the godfathers of gangsta rap. He went on to solo success with his 1992 album The Chronic, gave Snoop Dogg and Eminem their big breaks, and remains one of the most sought-after producers in hip-hop. This doc is not to be confused with Doctor Dre, who co-hosted Yo! MTV Raps, which ran from 1988 to 1995.
Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show Though best known for the hit song "The Cover of the Rolling Stone," this quartet was no one-hit wonder. The band released multiple studio albums and had a career that spanned decades. And yes, the group did make the cover of Rolling Stone, but then again, so did Jar Jar Binks. I guess the magazine has lost some cachet over the years.
Dr. Octagon One of the many aliases of eccentric rapper Kool Keith, Dr. Octagon indulged
the musician's weirder side and yielded Keith's best-known album, the mid-'90s classic
Dr. Octagonecologyst. The artist liked the doctor thing so much he invented another alias,
Dr. Dooom, who killed off Dr. Octagon on the 1999 album First Come, First Served. Oh,
the humanity!
Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem This beloved Muppets-born crew — performers of songs such as "Can You Picture That?" — is simply one of the greatest bands of all time. Guitarist Janice, bassist Sgt. Floyd Pepper, saxophonist Zoot, and the unhinged drummer, Animal, provide a groovy foundation for keyboardist Dr. Teeth — who happens to look and sound a little bit like Dr. John.
The Saw Doctors This punk- and roots-rock band is among the most successful Irish group of the 1990s. They almost — but not quite — broke through in America, but they have the bestselling single in the history of Ireland (1990's "I Useta Lover") and one helluva great debut album title (1991's If This Is Rock and Roll, I Want My Old Job Back).
Spin Doctors My first-ever celebrity interview (on my late-night radio show as a 16-year-old) was with this roots-rock quartet that had a bunch of huge singles in the early 1990s, including "Two Princes" and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong." Their music sounds pretty dated now, but I can tell you from personal experience: they're really nice guys.
— R.B.