Society Of Rock
In 1973, Dr. John Turned Brief Fame Into A Career Backed By Bette Midler & Bob Dylan
By John Lerit
Jan. 17, 2026
Bette Midler with Jerry Wexler & Dr. John (right). Bette later covered one of his songs, “Rain” on Thighs and Whispers
A Respected Outsider in Popular Music
Dr. John (Mac Rebennack) stood apart from most artists of his era. He shaped popular music in quiet but lasting ways, often outside the mainstream spotlight. Known for his work as a session player and his deep ties to New Orleans music, he earned strong respect from fellow musicians. Even so, he remained less familiar to the wider public than many of his peers.
That distance from fame was not accidental. In the early part of his solo career, Dr. John avoided chasing hits. He preferred to protect the sound and traditions he valued, even while helping other artists succeed on the charts. His name appeared on many records, but rarely at the center of commercial attention.
Wrestling With Commercial Success
In a 1973 interview with Rolling Stone, Dr. John spoke openly about his mixed feelings toward commercial music. “It’s hard to put this in anything that sounds sensible. I’ve been making commercial records for all the other artists for a long time,” he said. “I feel there’s a certain point at which some records get hurt if they’re trying to be commercial.”
He also explained that his views evolved with time. “But then there are some records that are commercial that’s good,” he continued. “Originally, I felt to go commercial would prostitute myself and bastardize the music. On reflecting, I thought that if without messin’ up the music and keeping the roots and elements of what I want to do musically, I could still make a commercial record I would not feel ashamed from, I’m proud of, and still have a feel for, then it’s not a bad thing but it even serve a good purpose.”
The Song That Changed Everything
That balance arrived in 1973 with “Right Place, Wrong Time.” The song appeared on his sixth album, In the Right Place, and became his biggest hit. It reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and climbed to No. 6 in Canada. While Dr. John released many well-reviewed albums, this single marked his only true moment in pop radio’s upper ranks.
The success placed him in unfamiliar territory. Still, the song fit his values more than he expected. Its groove stayed rooted in New Orleans rhythm, even as it crossed into mainstream playlists. The record opened doors without pulling him away from his musical base.
A Song Built by Many Voices
Part of the song’s strength came from collaboration. In his memoir Under a Hoodoo Moon, Dr. John described how the lyrics came together. “A lot of different artists pitched in to give me lyrics on the song,” he wrote. “Bob Dylan started it off by laying a line in me. ‘I’m on the right trip, but in the wrong car.’ Then, Bette Midler gave me one. ‘My head’s in a bad place. I don’t know what it’s there for.’ Doug Sahm also pitched in. ‘I was in the right set. But it must have been the wrong sign.’ Everybody gave me a little something.”
He also added lines drawn from “old Ninth Ward slang,” including the phrase “a little brain salad surgery,” a local euphemism that later inspired the title of an Emerson, Lake, and Palmer album released the same year.
