Dr. John, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, died Thursday of a heart attack. He was 77.
"Towards the break of day June 6, iconic music legend Malcolm John Rebennack, Jr., known as Dr. John, passed away of a heart attack,” read a statement on his social media pages. "The family thanks all whom shared his unique musical journey & requests privacy at this time. Memorial arrangements will be announced in due course."
The House of Blues in New Orleans said the world has lost a legend. "Dr. John broke in our stage at House of Blues’ grand opening back in January 1994. Thank you for a lifetime of great music. You will be truly missed."
Born in New Orleans, Rebennack worked as a session musician for more than a decade before showcasing his own music – a unique blend of blues, rock and funk.
His debut album, 1968’s Gris-Gris, was released with the name Dr. John, the Night Tripper. Dozens of albums followed, and Dr. John earned a spot on the charts in 1973 with “Right Place Wrong Time.”
Rebennack collaborated with artists like Gregg Allman, Van Morrison and Ringo Starr, and earned six Grammy Awards in Rock, Pop, Blues and Jazz categories between 1989 and 2013.
"God bless Dr. John peace and love to all his family," tweeted Starr. "I love the doctor peace and love."
Rebennack performed “Such A Night” in The Band's 1978 film The Last Waltz and appeared as himself in 1998’s Blues Brothers and in episodes of Treme.
Actor Harry Shearer said Rebennack "was the latest in the great line of the city's piano kings" and guitarist Joe Bonamassa remembered him as "one of the greatest of all time and a real genius and gentleman."