Dr. John News

Paul Epworth, with his trophy for producer of the year, said he owes a great deal to Adele, the night's big winner.

Malcolm J. "Mac" Rebennack grew up in New Orleans' 3rd Ward, served as a Carnival court page as a child and later won a talent show at Jesuit High School, which he dropped out of to concentrate on music.

Rhythm and blues band Zydecrunch has rocked out Lansing with its funky musical concoctions ever since forming in 1998.

Ken Franckling is an award-winning jazz writer and photographer who has been covering the mainstream jazz scene for more than 25 years.

Although he didn't become widely known until the 1970s, Dr. John had been active in the music industry since the late '50s, when the teenager was still known as Mac Rebennack.

The news of Etta James' passing comes as something of a relief - given she was suffering.

George Porter Jr., original bassist with the Meters, will be this year's recipient of OffBeat magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award in Music, during ceremonies to be held January 26 at Generations Hall in New Orleans.

Quintessential New York rocker Garland Jeffreys has painted his masterpiece more than once, but 2011's "The King of In Between," his first U.S. studio album in 19 years, is as impressive a late-career masterwork as anything by Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan or Paul Simon.