Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys will make his directorial debut with the hopes of delivering an in-depth story about a well-known New Orleans artist. On Monday, Radical Media announced a collaboration with Auerbach to produce a documentary about the late singer-pianist Dr. John. The project will depict the tale of Dr. John’s complex life, as well as his musical and cultural influence.
Dr. John was a funky New Orleans “night-tripper” artist with a hoodoo-infused stage presence and gravelly bayou drawl who combined numerous musical styles. He was a white man who found a home among Black New Orleans musicians and was a six-time Grammy winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer.
In 2019, he died of a heart attack. Auerbach expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to work on a piece honoring Dr. John, whom he described as a friend. He described Dr. John, whose true name was Mac Rebennack, as a “shining example of American music’s enormous melting pot.”
“This documentary will introduce the world to him in a way they haven’t seen him before, from his mysterious voodoo stage persona Dr John to his real, humble self Mac Rebannack, the street poet, the family man, the junkie, the Grammy award winner and everything in between,” Auerbach said in a statement. “I’m constantly learning things about him that I didn’t know before, and I hope the film provides a window into Dr. John’s life story.”
As a first-time filmmaker, Auerbach is ecstatic to be working with RadicalMedia. The production business shares this sentiment. “We believe his talents will transcend his ability to now tell an outstanding story since he actually worked with and knew Mac extremely well,” said RadicalMedia chairman and CEO Jon Kamen. On Auerbach’s project, Kamen will serve as an executive producer alongside Jon Doran and Impact Artist Productions.
On the heels of executive producing first-time filmmaker Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s “Summer of Soul” on Hulu, RadicalMedia is working on a new project with Auerbach. Other films created by the production firm include Netflix’s “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel” and Apple TV Plus’s “The Me You Can’t See,” which stars Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry.
Kamen explained, “We’re here to help (Auerbach) shape this story.” “We’re here to support it, just like we did with Questlove’s ‘Summer of Soul.’ We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again without hesitation. We believe that with the appropriate team behind an artist like Dan, great things can be accomplished. I’m sure it’ll be a fantastic narrative as well.”