New Orleans R&B legend Allen Toussaint dead at 77
R&B legend Allen Toussaint, one of the signature forces in New Orleans music whose songs have been played by a who's who of rock greats, has died, his family said Tuesday.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who was 77, died suddenly in Madrid shortly after performing Monday at the Spanish capital's Teatro Lara.
"Allen Toussaint, our beloved father and ambassador of New Orleans music and culture, passed away unexpectedly," his son Clarence said in a statement.
Raised in a humble home, Toussaint from a young age mingled with New Orleans' leading musicians and helped make the city -- best known as the birthplace of jazz -- a global center for R&B production of popular songs.
Artists who came to Toussaint included Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello, Joe Cocker and The Rolling Stones, who along with Otis Redding scored a hit with his song "Pain in My Heart."
Caption:Allen Toussaint
Photo: Rollingstone
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