Photo by Alysse Gafkjen

Dan Auerbach announced that he will direct the upcoming Untitled Dr. John documentary project. The documentary will follow the life of a musical goliath and the city that shaped him. This will be the Black Keys frontman’s directorial debut.

Auerbach said about the forthcoming film in a statement, “I’m thrilled to be partnering with RadicalMedia and Impact Artist Productions to try my hand at directing a documentary feature for the first time and I’m honored to have the subject be my friend Dr. John. He was such a unique individual and a shining example of the great melting pot of American music.  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 all that’s in between, this documentary will introduce the world to him in a way they haven’t seen him before. I’m still learning bits about him that I never knew, and I hope the movie provides a lens into the story of the life of Dr. John.”

Auerbach produced Dr. John’s album Locked Down which was named number 15 on Rolling Stone’s list of the top 50 albums of 2012. The album is one of Auebbach’s three Grammys in a producing capacity and went on to win the 2013 Grammy for Best Blues Album.

The Untitled Dr. John documentary project was described in a press release as a, “[story] about a man and his home: how a city raises him, shapes him and how a city’s trajectory changed his life and how his life shapes the city right back.  This is the story of the intricate life and prolific musical and cultural impact of Mac Rebennack, best known as Dr. John, the Nite Tripper.”

Dr. John was known as a musician who blended several musical styles through a voodoo-infused character with a bayou drawl. He won six-time Grammys and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He was a white man that found a home with Black New Orleans musicians. In 2019 Dr. John died after a heart attack.

Jon Kamen and Jon Doran will serve as executive producers for RadicalMedia, a company that recently executively produced first-time filmmaker Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s critically-acclaimed, Summer of Soul.

Read Relix’s feature on “Questlove” here.