Leonard William "Doc" Gibbs Jr is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 percussionist. Gibbs studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in the early 1970s. He has toured with artists such as Anita Baker

Anita Baker

Anita Baker is an American R&B/soul jazz singer-songwriter. To date, Baker has won eight Grammy Awards, and has four platinum albums and two gold albums to her credit....

, Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston

Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...

, Bob James

Bob James (musician)

Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...

, Ricki Lee Jones, Al Jarreau

Al Jarreau

Alwin "Al" Lopez Jarreau is a seven-time Grammy Award winning jazz singer.- Background :Jarreau was born in Milwaukee, the fifth of six children. His web site refers to Reservoir, Inc., the name of the street where he lived. His father was a Seventh-Day Adventist Church minister and singer, and...

, Grover Washington, Jr.

Grover Washington, Jr.

Grover Washington, Jr. was an American jazz-funk / soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with George Benson, John Klemmer, David Sanborn, Bob James, Chuck Mangione, Herb Alpert, and Spyro Gyra, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre.He wrote some of his material and...

, Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...

, Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu

Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...

, Eric Bennett

Eric Bennett

Eric Bennett is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1940s. Hailing from The Central West region of New South Wales, he played in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership for the Western Suburbs Magpies at centre and five-eighth. Bennett played over 100 games for the...

, and James Poysner. He acquired the nickname "Doc" after suggesting herbal remedies

Herbalism

Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, herblore, and phytotherapy...

 to jazz saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr. "Doc" is well-known for playing percussion in nothing but a t-shirt and flip flops. His main influence is currently William Long. He says quote, "Dis' boy is the shiz!" Shiz referring to his amazing skills in percussion. They have been best friends ever since.

He headed the house band

House band

For the British band that existed from 1984-2001, see The House BandA house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to...

 on the popular Food Network

Food Network

Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....

 television show Emeril Live

Emeril Live

Emeril Live is a program on The Cooking Channel hosted by Emeril Lagasse. It formerly aired on Food Network and Fine Living.Emeril Live features many of the same elements as Emeril's other program, Essence of Emeril, and often has a Creole theme...

hosted by Emeril Lagasse

Emeril Lagasse

'Emeril John Lagasse is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, and cookbook author. A regional James Beard Award winner, he is perhaps most notable for his Food Network shows Emeril Live and Essence of Emeril as well as catchphrases such as “Kick it up a notch!” and...

, until it was cancelled in December 2007.

Television star Ted Danson hired Gibbs to play his 50th birthday party. Danson caused controversy by showing up to his own party in "blackface

Blackface

Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows, and later vaudeville, in which performers create a stereotyped caricature of a black person. The practice gained popularity during the 19th century and contributed to the proliferation of stereotypes such as the "happy-go-lucky darky...

". This was not the first time Danson had done this, but Gibbs and his band found the humor and played on.