Scatman John

American musician (1942–1999)

John Paul Larkin (known as Scatman John) (born March 6 1942 in El Monte, California – died December 3, 1999 in Los Angeles, California) was an American jazz musician and singer. His most popular song is "Scatman (Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop)". Scatman John was named "Best New Artist" in the Echo Awards in both Japan and Germany. He had a stammer and won an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Annie Glenn Award for outstanding service to the stuttering community. He went out as a hero after being told he had lung cancer and that he should stop scatting. John still decided to continue, which contributed to his early death from lung cancer in 1999.

Scatman John
Background information
Birth nameJohn Paul Larkin
Born(1942-03-13)March 13, 1942
El Monte, California, U.S.
OriginEl Monte, California, U.S.
Died(1999-12-03)December 3, 1999
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
GenresJazz, house, dance, eurodance, pop, scat rap
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
InstrumentsVocals, piano
Years active1976 – 1999

Scatman John died on December 3, 1999 in Los Angeles, California from lung cancer.

Albums change

Scatman John released 4 albums over his career:

Year Album
1986 John Larkin*
1995 Scatman's World
1996 Everybody Jam!
1999 Take Your Time
  • Not released commercially