Allen Toussaint

Allen Toussaint grew up in New Orleans in the late 1930s, learning piano and absorbing the local rhythm and blues scene. He wrote his first hit, "Java," for Fats Domino in 1956, and spent much of the 1960s working with New Orleans artists like Lee Dorsey and Irma Thomas.

In 1970, he released the album "Life, Love & Faith," which included the song "American Tune." That track, along with others like "Happiness" and "Sweet Touch of Love," showed his skill at writing melodic, thoughtful material that felt both personal and connected to the city's musical traditions.

Toussaint also produced records for artists outside New Orleans, including Dr. John and Bonnie Raitt, helping shape their sounds with his ear for arrangement and rhythm. He kept recording and performing for decades, his work staying rooted in the piano and songcraft he developed early on.