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Allen Toussaint Biography

Birth Name:Allen R. Toussaint

Birth Place:Gert Town, Louisiana, United States

Profession Soundtrack, Actor, Music department

Fast Facts

  • Served in the United States Army during the early 1960s
  • Was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998
  • Was awarded the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor given to an American musician, in 2013
  • After teaching himself how to play guitar and beginning his career as a teenager, he released his debut album in 1958 under the name Tousan
  • Worked for the Minit record label during the 1960s, working on songs like Ernie K-Doe's "Mother in Law" and Lee Dorsey's "Ya Ya․"
  • Quote: "I'm not accustomed to talking about myself․ I talk in the studio with musicians․ Or through my songs․"
  • Co-founded the record label Sea-Saint Studios in 1972 and worked with the likes of Paul Simon and Paul McCartney
  • Legendary R&B and soul musician and composer from New Orleans whose original songs included "Working in the Coal Mine," "Fortune Teller" and "Southern Nights․"