Skip to main content
Wednesday, November 11, 2026Nov 11

Singing Surgeon: Dr. Elvis cuts EP to aid COVID-19 fund

Dr. Elvis Francois, an orthopedic surgery resident at the Mayo Clinic, records a song at Carpet booth studio in SE Rochester, Minn. Francois has gone viral thanks to his top-notch musical performances at hospitals. On Friday he will independently release "Music Is Medicine," which was recorded alongside pianist and fellow resident Dr. William Robinson. All of the proceeds will be donated to The Center of Disaster Philanthropy COVID-19 Response Fund. (Evan Schlee via AP)
Dr. Elvis Francois, an orthopedic surgery resident at the Mayo Clinic, records a song at Carpet booth studio in SE Rochester, Minn. Francois has gone viral thanks to his top-notch musical performances at hospitals. On Friday he will independently release "Music Is Medicine," which was recorded alongside pianist and fellow resident Dr. William Robinson. All of the proceeds will be donated to The Center of Disaster Philanthropy COVID-19 Response Fund. (Evan Schlee via AP) Dr. Elvis Francois, an orthopedic surgery resident at the Mayo Clinic, records a song at Carpet booth studio in SE Rochester, Minn. Francois has gone viral thanks to his top-notch musical performances at hospitals. On Friday he will independently release "Music Is Medicine," which was recorded alongside pianist and fellow resident Dr. William Robinson. All of the proceeds will be donated to The Center of Disaster Philanthropy COVID-19 Response Fund. (Evan Schlee via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) – Elvis Francois, the orthopedic surgery resident who has gone viral with his top-notch live performances at hospitals, knew from adolescence he wanted to help heal the world through medicine.

But through music? Not so much.

Two years after becoming an unlikely singing sensation, the 34-year-old doctor with a golden voice is releasing his first-ever EP on Friday and all the proceeds will be donated to The Center of Disaster Philanthropy COVID-19 Response Fund.

“It’s been such a unique time in all of our lives. I’m just honored to be able to share a bit of music with people, especially during these trying times,” Francois said in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday. “What we do as surgeons, what we do as physicians goes a very long way, but music moves people in a way that medicine can’t.”

Francois has appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” CNN, “Good Morning America” and more programs after becoming popular for singing booming covers of John Lennon’s “Imagine” and Bill Withers’ “Lean On Me,” but just weeks ago he got a call from two executives from the Nashville-based Big Machine Label Group, asking how they could help him spread his message of hope and joy through music.