John Sebastian

John Byrne Cooke

PHOTOGRAPHY

Image No. 64-18-8: John Sebastian

Backstage, Philharmonic Hall, New York City, 1964

John Sebastian played in the Even Dozen Jug Band (with Maria D'Amato) before founding the Lovin' Spoonful in 1965. He wrote the Spoonful's hits "Do You Believe in Magic," "Younger Girl," and "Summer in the City," but the song that has earned him the most money over the years is probably the theme song from the TV series "Welcome Back Kotter," the first series theme to reach No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100. Here, John is hanging out backstage at a Bob Dylan concert in Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, on Halloween 1964.