WEAA remembers the iconic New Orleans musician, Allen Toussaint.
Read about his life in Rolling Stone, and listen on-air for his music.
From Rolling Stone:
"Allen Toussaint, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame songwriter, producer, pianist, performer and New Orleans legend, passed away Monday night while on tour in Spain. He was 77. Toussaint suffered a heart attack at his hotel after performing at Madrid's Teatro Lara earlier in the night; after being resuscitated, he suffered a second, fatal heart attack en route to the hospital, the BBC reports.
"The Grammy-winning Toussaint was one of the Big Easy's most influential, beloved and iconic musicians, having penned oft-covered songs like "Working in the Coal Mine," "Mother-in-Law," "Fortune Teller," "Southern Nights," "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley," "Get Out of My Life, Woman" and countless more. Toussaint's songs were recorded by the likes of Jerry Garcia, Ringo Starr, Little Feat, Robert Palmer, the Yardbirds, Glen Campbell, Bonnie Raitt, the Band, Warren Zevon, the Rolling Stones and many more.
"Toussaint also played a pivotal role of formulating a unique style of soul, funk and R&B that became emblematic of New Orleans. Toussaint served as producer for the Meters, who got their start as Toussaint's backing band on Sansu before becoming one of the greatest funk acts of their era. Toussaint and Sehorn also built their Sea-Saint Studio in New Orleans, which became a go-to for local musicians like Dr. John and the Neville Brothers as well as superstars like Paul McCartney – who recorded portions of Wings' 1975 LP Venus and Mars with Toussaint on piano at the studio – and Paul Simon, New Orleans' WWL writes. Labelle also recorded the Toussaint-produced "Lady Marmalade" at the studio."
