The Official Web Site of Allen Toussaint

Welcome To the Blues Hall of Fame

BLUES FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES

2012 BLUES HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

The Blues Foundation has announced the 2012 inductees for the Blues Hall of Fame, including Chicago harp master Billy Boy Arnold; blues-rock guitar virtuoso Mike Bloomfield; brother/sister recording act Buddy & Ella Johnson; South Louisiana swamp blues artist Lazy Lester; Memphis bluesmen Furry Lewis and Frank Stokes; guitar genius Matt "Guitar" Murphy; and New Orleans musician, songwriter, an producer Allen Toussaint.

Among the other individuals being recognized by The Blues Foundation this year are: Chicago Blues radio force Pervis Spann; German “American Folk Blues Festival” promoters Horst Lippmann and Fritz Rau; and songwriting legend Doc Pomus.

The books Bessie by Chris Albertson and The Voice of the Blues: Classic Interviews from Living Blues Magazine, edited by Jim O’Neal & Amy van Singel, will also be inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.

These albums are also being honored: Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues by Buddy Guy (1991) and Bad Influence by Robert Cray (1984). The following singles will be inducted during the ceremony: “It Hurts Me Too” by Tampa Red (1940); “Pine Top’s Boogie Woogie” by Pine Top Smith (1928); and “All Your Love” by Magic Sam (1957).

The induction ceremony will be held Wednesday, May 9, at the Memphis Marriott Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee, the night before the 33rd Blues Music Awards. Plans are underway now to individually honor each of the inductees that night. The Blues Foundation is currently engaged in a $3.5 million campaign to establish a physical Blues Hall of Fame at its headquarters at 421 South Main in downtown Memphis.

The Blues Hall of Fame committee, consisting of scholars, record producers, radio programmers, and historians, is chaired by Jim O'Neal, founding editor of Living Blues.

On May 10, the night after the Blues Hall of Fame inductions, The Blues Foundation will present the Blues Music Awards for the 33rd time. Performers, industry representatives, and fans from around the world will celebrate the best in Blues recording, songwriting and performance from the previous year at the Memphis Cook Convention Center in downtown Memphis. The evening will see performances by 2012 Hall of Fame inductees and Blues Music Award nominees.

Major funding is provided by ArtsMemphis and the Tennessee Arts Commission. The 33rd Blues Music Awards and Blues Hall of Fame events are also sponsored by Blue Mountain Artists, BMI, Catfood Records, Eagle Rock Entertainment, FedEx, First Tennessee Foundation, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Sony/Legacy Records.

Inductees’ biographies are attached and are available, as well as all Hall of Fame inductees, at www.blues.org/halloffame/index.php.

Allen Toussaint back Home at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage May 5, 2012

Allen Toussaint will be playing the 2012 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival taking place April 27 – May 6. The festival will also have performances by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Foo Fighters, Dr. John, Al Green, Bon Iver, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Irma Thomas and many more. For the full line-up and ticket information please visit www.nojazzfest.com

ALLEN TOUSSAINT IS INDUCTED INTO THE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME

At a star-studded gala at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York on Thursday night, legendary singer/pianist/songwriter and record producer Allen Toussaint was inducted into the prestigious Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

Veteran rock star Boz Scaggs walked out on stage and sang “Hercules”, Allen’s timeless parable about survival in the modern world which had been a highlight of Boz’s fourth Columbia album “Slow Dancer” back in 1974. Mr. Toussaint then joined him on stage to accompany on piano as Boz sang “Hello My Lover”, another of Allen’s songs which he’d previously recorded but which had started out life on a 1960 single by the late Ernie K-Doe.

The Scaggs/Toussaint set then finished with the two of them duetting on “What Do You Want The Girl To Do”, one of the standout songs from Allen’s landmark 1975Reprise album “Southern Nights”.

Boz then officially presented Allen with his Award and the SRO audience rose to their feet and applauded in heartfelt appreciation.

Elton John about Allen Toussaint

"when I meet someone like Allen Toussaint - that for me is like meeting, you know, someone the equivalent of the Dalai Lama because for me, he influenced the way I played the piano, he's a historical part of rock and roll."
- Elton John on Elvis Costello's Spectacle

The Bright Mississippi

Nonesuch Records releases The Bright Mississippi, Allen Toussaint’s first solo album in more than a decade, on April 21, 2009.

Critically acclaimed Nonesuch CD -The Bright Mississippi Out Now

Mojo raves "Jazz albums don't come much better” and gives it 4 stars and according to the New York Times "This is a jazz record for people who think they don't like jazz..."

Accomplishments

	2010 Grammy Nomination for Best Instrumental Jazz Album Individual or Group "The Bright Mississippi"
	2009 Grammy Trustees Award Winner
	Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee
	2007 Grammy Nominated Vocal Album of the Year with Elvis Costello.

Welcome

The Official Web Site of Allen Toussaint

Welcome To the Blues Hall of Fame

Allen Toussaint back Home at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage May 5, 2012

ALLEN TOUSSAINT IS INDUCTED INTO THE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME

Elton John about Allen Toussaint

The Bright Mississippi

Nonesuch Records releases The Bright Mississippi, Allen Toussaint’s first solo album in more than a decade, on April 21, 2009.

Accomplishments

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Steinway Pianos

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