Allen Toussaint, the influential New Orleans R&B musician, has died.
He was 77.
Toussaint reportedly collapsed at his hotel after a concert performance in Madrid. His daughter told the New York Times in an email that her father suffered a heart attack.
Allen Toussaint Dies at 77 After Suffering Heart Attack https://t.co/0t1kMNRFgb pic.twitter.com/olvTKP0mMn
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) November 10, 2015
Toussaint was born and raised in New Orleans, the city where he’d make his biggest influence. Many of Toussaint’s songs, which he wrote and produced, were popularized by other famous musicians.
Some examples include “Ruler of My Heart”, which was recorded by Otis Redding as “Pain in My Heart” and later by The Rolling Stones. “Fortune Teller” was covered by The Stones, The Who, The Hollies, and more.
Toussaint worked with artists as diverse as The Meters, Dr John, Robert Palmer, Paul McCartney, and Elvis Costello.
Allen Toussaint: What I've Learned https://t.co/EAGpXgTjMD #RIP pic.twitter.com/ajc7gk3PmU
— Esquire Magazine (@esquire) November 10, 2015
President Obama awarded Toussaint a National Medal of the Arts in 2013.
