[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 172 (Monday, November 30, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1671]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF NEW ORLEANS MUSICAL LEGEND ALLEN 
                               TOUSSAINT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CEDRIC L. RICHMOND

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 30, 2015

  Mr. RICHMOND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mr. 
Allen Toussaint, accomplished American producer, musician, songwriter 
and one of the most talented and prolific New Orleans musicians of my 
lifetime. Mr. Toussaint passed away on November 10, 2015, at the age of 
77.
   Mr. Toussaint was born in 1938 and grew up in the Gert Town 
neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana. As a child, he learned to play 
the piano through informal lessons from an elderly neighbor and picked 
up melodies from the radio. During his teen years in the 1950s, Mr. 
Toussaint performed with Earl King's band standing in for Huey 
``Piano'' Smith. The experience launched his music career when he 
caught the attention of Fats Domino producer Dave Bartholomew. Mr. 
Toussaint first recorded in 1957 as a stand-in pianist for Fats Domino 
on the record, ``I Want You to Know.''
   Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Mr. Toussaint was a remarkably 
influential songwriter and producer. He played piano and wrote, 
arranged and produced a series of hits including records like Lee 
Dorsey's ``Working in the Coal Mine,'' and Jessie Hill's ``Ooh Poo Pah 
Doo.'' As his sound got funkier into the 70s, he wrote songs such as 
``Southern Nights,'' and produced Labelle's, ``Lady Marmalade.''
   Mr. Toussaint's creativity was inspired by the city of New Orleans, 
but his impact spread beyond the Big Easy and the R&B genre. World 
famous rock bands, including the Rolling Stones, the Who and the 
Hollies, covered his song ``Fortune Teller.'' Mr. Toussaint also 
collaborated with numerous renowned musicians, including Elvis Costello 
and Paul McCartney.
   In 1998, Mr. Toussaint was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of 
Fame. Following the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, he wrote 
``The River in Reverse,'' which was nominated for a Grammy. In 2009 Mr. 
Toussaint received a Trustees Award Grammy, and he was awarded the 
National Medal of Arts in 2013.
   Mr. Toussaint is described as a soft-spoken embodiment of New 
Orleans music's rich history. Tributes have flowed in from around the 
world since the death of the R&B legend, evoking words of condolences 
for his family and praise for his work from artists as diverse as Jimmy 
Buffett, the Soul Rebels, Paul McCartney, Lenny Kravitz, and the 
Rolling Stones.
   Mr. Speaker, I celebrate the life and legacy of Mr. Toussaint, 
master craftsman of 20th-century American culture. His music will 
forever be ingrained in the culture and soul of New Orleans and this 
country.

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