09/14/2026
The most famous El Sereno resident you've probably never heard of: John Paul Larkin (a.k.a. Scatman John)
March 13, 1942 – December 3, 1999
John grew up in El Sereno, played in the creek behind his home on McPherson. He recalls going into the storm tunnel at the end of the creek. He spent his early years catching frogs, crawdads, and watching guppies. John remembered roaming all the El Sereno hills. One of his favorite haunts was the ruin they called the White House. He recalled playing in the empty pool, a maze of foundations and twisted, narrow service corridors.
John attended Farmdale, All Saints, and Wilson High School. He even played football for the legendary Vic Cuccia (for a short stint).
He became a prolific jazz piano player from his teens onwards. He stuttered quite severely, which meant he could "s**t sing" very easily. After beating a drug and alcohol problem, he moved to Europe and played piano in hotels and cruise ships. In the 90s a record label came up with the idea of putting John's s**t-singing over a dance beat and he became "Scatman John" at the age of 53.
Scatman John became a huge sensation in Europe and Asia, especially Japan. His songs were hugely popular in Europe, where he reached no. 1 in about 20 countries.
It was an honor to have contributed to telling his story. We are grateful to Gina Waggott for sharing his story with the world.
**tmanjohn
