Allen Toussaint (1938 – 2015)

Allen Toussaint was my dear friend. The most gifted, gracious and generous man that you could ever want to meet.

— Paul Simon

A producer, songwriter and arranger, Toussaint was as prolific as he was beloved. He died yesterday shortly after a performance in Madrid at the age of 77.

… Toussaint didn’t just grow up in New Orleans : He helped define its distinctive R&B sound in the 1960s and ’70s. Thompkins says that over time, that sound began to morph, as Toussaint became a popular hitmaker and drew other artists into his orbit.