  john benson sebastian  (born march 17, 1944) is an american singer, songwriter, guitarist and autoharpist. he is best known as a founder of the lovin' spoonful, a band inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame in 2000.rock and roll hall of fame entry for the lovin' spoonful.. retrieved january 5, 2009. his tie-dyed denim jacket is prominently displayed there. ==life and early career== sebastian was born in new york city and grew up in greenwich village. his father, john sebastian, was a noted classical harmonica player and his mother was a radio script writer. he is the godson of vivian vance (ethel mertz of i love lucy). he grew up surrounded by music and musicians, including burl ives and woody guthrie and hearing such players as lead belly and mississippi john hurt in his own neighborhood. graduated from blair academy a private all male prep school in blairstown nj. songwriter hall of fame john sebastian biography.. retrieved january 5, 2009.john sebastian biography at www.johnbsebastian.com. retrieved january 6, 2009. one of his first recording gigs was playing guitar and harmonica for billy faier's 1964 album the beast of billy faier. he also recorded with fred neil on the bleecker & macdougal album and tom rush's self-titled album in 1965. he came up through the even dozen jug band and the mugwumps, which split to form the lovin' spoonful and the mamas & the papas. sebastian was joined by zal yanovsky, steve boone and joe butler in the spoonful, which was named after "the coffee blues," a mississippi john hurt song. sebast
1944_births American_country_harmonica_players American_folk_singers American_musical_theatre_composers American_musical_theatre_lyricists American_rock_singers Eels_(band)_members Living_people People_from_Greenwich_Village,_New_York Rock_and_Roll_Hall_of_Fame_inductees Rock_harmonica_players Songwriters_from_New_York