I Believe

Happy birthday, John Sebastian. He was leader of the Lovin' Spoonful.

They had a bunch of great top ten hits in the 60s, including "Daydream," "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind?," "You Didn't Have To Be So Nice" and "Nashville Cats." Their only #1 was "Summer In The City," but I think the one they're most remembered for is their first hit, an anthem for rock and roll, "Do You Believe In Magic."



In 1967, lead guitarist Zal Yanovsky was caught in a drug bust and, to avoid deportation, dropped a dime on his dealer.  This led to a fan backlash.  The group was never the same and Sebastian left the next year.

He had a solo career, scoring one major hit, "Welcome Back," which went to #1 in 1976. (His troubled performance on SNL reminded you the show was live.) He wrote the number as a theme song to a sitcom, and the producers liked it so much they named the show Welcome Back, Kotter.