Legendary New Orleans songwriter, producer and performer Allen Toussaint has died aged 77 after suffering a heart attack, according to reports.
Toussaint passed away on November 9 in Spain while on tour, as reported by Louisiana’s WWL-TV. He played his last show in Bilbao on Sunday and had been scheduled to perform in Antwerp this Thursday and London on Sunday.
Toussaint was a widely respected figure of New Orleans R&B. He began his career as an apprentice to composer Dave Bartholomew before becoming a session musician and moving into writing and producing his own work. He collaborated with Paul McCartney and Joe Cocker, among many other musicians and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. He had found late success in recent years as a performer after relocating to New York when his New Orleans home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, going on to work with figures such as Elvis Costello and Eric Clapton.
