Pianist, singer-songwriter, composer and producer Allen Toussaint passed away this morning, November 10, 2015 in Madrid after a live performance. Shortly after his concert at the Teatro Lara in Madrid, the iconic New Orleans artist suffered a cardiac arrest when he was back at his hotel. The medical team managed to resuscitate him, but after being transferred to the Jimenez Diaz Foundation Hospital he died.
Allen Toussaint has a tremendous influence on American music, reaching deep into the genres of rhythm and blues, pop, country, musical theater, blues and jazz. Some of the best known hits written by Toussaint include: Ernie K-Doe’s “Mother-in-Law;” “Fortune Teller,” recorded by both Benny Spellman and The Rolling Stones; the Lee Dorsey hit “Working in the Coal Mine”, also recorded by Devo and The Judds; and “Southern Nights,” recorded by Glen Campbell.
Toussaint produced such artists as Etta James, Albert King, Chocolate Milk, The Meters, LaBelle, Ramsey Lewis, John Mayall and Dr. John, and has been covered by and/or performed with the Pointer Sisters, Bonnie Raitt, The Judds, Robert Palmer, Otis Redding, The O’Jays, Boz Scaggs, Johnny Winter, Ringo Starr, Paul Simon, Chet Atkins, Lenny Kravitz and Elvis Costello, among others.
In the past decade, Toussaint achieved additional notoriety thanks to the support of Elvis Costello, with whom he recorded the album The River in Reverse (2006). Toussaint also appeared in the popular HBO series Treme.
Video of Allen Toussaint’s last live performance:
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
