Iconic musician and songwriter, Allen Toussaint dies at 77

16th November 2015   ·   0 Comments

By Geraldine Wyckoff
Contributing Writer

“Any setting in New Orleans, as far as I’m concerned, is pretty close to perfect,” Allen Toussaint once proclaimed. The renowned composer, producer, pianist and vocalist absorbed his beloved hometown and its people and put them to music. In this city, Toussaint was the man who wrote the songs. Allen Toussaint died on Tuesday, November 10, 2015, while on tour in Spain. He was 77.

Toussaint’s contributions to New Orleans have been so expansive – just the hits he composed for other artists like Ernie K-Doe’s “Mother-In-Law,” Lee Dorsey’s “Working in a Coal Mine” and “Holy Cow,” Irma Thomas’ “It’s Raining,” Benny Spellman’s “Fortune Teller” and “Lipstick Traces” to name a very few – are mind-boggling. Rifling through a collector’s bin of New Orleans 45s, his name or one of his pseudonyms – Al Tousan, Naomi Neville and Clarence Toussaint (his parents’ names) – would pop up everywhere on various labels of assorted colors as writer and/or producer. K-Doe and Thomas showed up on the bright orange Minit records while the Meters could be found on Josie’s tan, striped label. The Tou-San label sported white while Sansu offered a light blue. They all had one thing in common the stamp, sound and creativity of the brilliant Allen Toussaint.

He often said that he might write a tune with a particular artist in mind or having composed a song just know who should record it. A man about town, Toussaint was aware of all things around him and would be inspired by the simplest turn of a phrase or an observation that he would ultimately transform into a clever theme. At one time, he must have seen memorable “Lipstick Traces” on a cigarette that led him to write vocalist Benny Spellman’s 1962 hit. In later year’s Toussaint would also perform it along with the 45’s flip side, “Fortune Teller.” In this way, he kept artists vital even when they were no longer performing or had passed.

“When you’re going by inspiration every day is loaded with everything the earth has and even the heavens have to offer so there’ s quite a diversification in my subject matter, I’m sure I’m glad to say,” Toussaint once offered.

In a 2015 interview, Toussaint recalled how one of his and vocalist Ernie K-Doe’s greatest hits, 1961’s chart-topping song “Mother-In-Law” came to be. It was during an era that mother-in-laws were the brunt of many comedians’ jokes, especially old-school veterans like Rodney Dangerfield and Henny Youngman.

“I remember when that phrase came to me,” he said. “Ernie K-Doe was even sitting in the room when I wrote it at my parents’ house back in Gert Town. Of course, I didn’t have a mother-in-law then, so I didn’t experience that first hand but it was so common on television. It was a sign of the times to write like that.”

“I started writing as a kid. I was mimicking everything I heard on the radio – everything I heard anywhere. And after you do that so much every day, you can’t help but wanting to pick out little melodies of your own because it’s a surprise because it didn’t come from somewhere else, and here it is coming from you.”

Remarkably, Toussaint was a self-taught musician though his mother did sign him up for a piano class but he only lasted for six or seven lessons. “By the time she did that, the boogie-woogie already had me,” he once said with a laugh. “I wasn’t a good student; I was so busy learning things I heard off the radio and so busy improvising.”

Toussaint remained primarily behind the scenes as a composer and producer performing live almost exclusively at the Jazz & Heritage Festival. He played at the event for the first time in 1974 and in 2009 his image was the subject of the Fest’s poster. By then, following Hurricane Katrina and the flood caused by the levee breaches which destroyed his Sea-Saint studio in Gentilly, Toussaint had stepped out of his comfort zone and reached out to the world as a performer. This was ignited by the benefit concerts he was involved with during his residency in New York and mixing it up with an array of artists. He was already connected with the Big Apple having co-owned his NYNO label with New York’s Joshua Feigenbaum that was established in 1996.

What could be considered a pinnacle of this period was his collaboration with internationally renowned British singer and guitarist Elvis Costello. In 2006, the duo released their Grammy-nominated album The River in Reverse. New Orleans was gifted by a performance by Toussaint and Costello performing tunes from the album at the House of Blues. Costello acted as the frontman with Toussaint doing what he did best, offering great support from the piano primarily on tunes from his own pen.

Those who knew Allen Toussaint or just happened to meet him always speak of his grace and humble, soft-spoken manner. He was a gentleman who helped countless musicians and people during his journey through life. Yes, he was an inductee of the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame and in 2013 was presented the National Medal of the Arts by President Barack Obama. He was also a man of the people who one might run into while walking through the Quarter, as someone in the audience at various musical events or even somewhere digging into a poboy. Toussaint was also quite humorous as folks attending a seminar during this year’s French Quarter Festival can attest. Led by John Broven, the author of the seminal book Rhythm and Blues in New Orleans, Toussaint and longtime friend, vocalist and guitarist Deacon John were like a comedy team exchanging stories and quips. When Deacon was paying high compliments to Toussaint and thanking him for helping him in his career, Toussaint, with intentional discreetness pulled out some money and slyly gave it to Deacon. The audience roared. Toussaint’s lyrics also betray his subtle wit.

Allen Toussaint and legendary songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Paul Simon were scheduled to do a much-anticipated benefit for the New Orleans Against Hunger and Homelessness non-profit organization on December 28. It was founded in 1985 by Toussaint and vocalist Aaron Neville to combat hunger in this city. As part of the fundraising, Toussaint gathered a wealth of New Orleans musicians into his studio including Neville, Irma Thomas, Jessie Hill, Oliver “Who Shot the La La” Morgan, Pete Fountain and many others. Beneath a photo of Professor Longhair, he led the assemblage as they recorded a song, similar in sentiment and function to “We Are the World” called “Give Today for Tomorrow.”

In many ways, that title expresses Allen Toussaint’s life of generosity. His music and influence on the world and his kindness to one and all remain eternal.

This article originally published in the November 16, 2015 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.