One was born Dickran Gobalian on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The other, hailing from the magical oasis known as New Orleans, was christened Malcolm Rebennack. The musical names we knew them by were Leon Redbone and Dr. John, respectively, and together these two idiosyncratic characters once became a uniquely well-suited pair for a duet interpretation of the immortal seasonal classic ‘Frosty The Snowman.’ The rendition was part of another, albeit fictional, island (we think), Redbone’s whimsical 1988 release Christmas Island. Just over three decades later both of these offbeat originals had died…within a week of each other.

Here’s to a merry, memorable, and eccentric holiday season in 2021.