John Sebastian

This article is about the musician. For his debut solo album, see John B. Sebastian (album). For his father, the classical harmonica player and composer, see John Sebastian (classical harmonica player). For the similarly named Mexican pop singer, see Joan Sebastian.

John Sebastian
Sebastian in 1971
Sebastian in 1971
Background information
Birth nameJohn Benson Sebastian
Also known asGiovanni Pugliese
Born (1944-03-17) March 17, 1944 (age 80)
New York City, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • musician
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • harmonica
  • autoharp
Years active1964–present
Labels
Formerly of
Websitejohnbsebastian.com

John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944)[1] is an American singer, songwriter and musician who founded the rock band the Lovin' Spoonful in 1964 with Zal Yanovsky. During his time in the Lovin Spoonful, John would write and sing some of the band's biggest hits such as "Do You Believe in Magic", "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind", and "Daydream". Sebastian would leave the Spoonful in 1968 after the album Everything Playing. After leaving the Spoonful, Sebastian would focus on a solo career, releasing his first solo album in 1970 titled John B. Sebastian. Sebastian would continue on recording solo albums.

He made an impromptu appearance at the Woodstock festival in 1969[2] and scored a U.S. No. 1 hit in 1976 with "Welcome Back", which was used as the theme song on the sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter.

Sebastian was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 as a member of the Lovin' Spoonful.[3]

  1. ^ "John Sebastian Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & M..." AllMusic. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  2. ^ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – Lovin' Spoonful Biography Archived August 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, rockhall.com. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  3. ^ "Lovin' Spoonful". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 5, 2024.