John Sebastian
John Sebastian | |
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Sebastian in 1971 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Benson Sebastian |
| Also known as | Giovanni Pugliese |
| Born | March 17, 1944 New York City, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1964–present |
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| Website | johnbsebastian |
John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) 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, Sebastian wrote and sang some of the band's biggest hits such as "Do You Believe in Magic", “Summer in the City”, "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind", and "Daydream". Sebastian left the Spoonful after the 1968 album Everything Playing to focus on a solo career, releasing John B. Sebastian in 1970.
He made an impromptu appearance at the Woodstock festival in 1969 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.