Allen Toussaint Has Died

Legendary New Orleans songwriter and musician Allen Toussaint has died, the Associated Press reports. He was 77 years old. The cause of death was a heart attack, which Toussaint suffered at his hotel room on Tuesday morning in Madrid, Spain. 

Toussaint wrote and produced such classics as Lee Dorsey’s “Working in the Coal Mine” and Labelle’s “Lady Marmalade”. He started performing in the 1950s, and in the 1960s and 70s, he worked with artists like Irma Thomas, Aaron Neville, the Meters, Dr. John, and Ernie K-Doe. His songs were covered by the Rolling Stones, Herb Alpert, and the Who. He also worked with the Band, Paul McCartney, and Elvis Costello.

In 1998, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Obama in 2012. He continued recording and performing until the end of his life. He was on tour in Madrid when he died.

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