Toussaint's singular touch on all these records redefined the sound of New Orleans R&B for a new decade. His first national success as a producer came with Jessie Hill's R&B Top Five smash "Ooh Poo Pah Doo" in 1960, and the classic hits came fast and furious after that: Ernie K-Doe's pop and R&B number one "Mother-in-Law" (a Toussaint composition), Benny Spellman's "Fortune Teller," and "Lipstick Traces (On a Cigarette)" (both Toussaint tunes written as Naomi Neville, with the former later covered by the Rolling Stones), Chris Kenner's original version of "Land of 1000 Dances," Lee Dorsey's "Ya Ya," and numerous sides with New Orleans soul queen Irma Thomas. It was here that Toussaint truly began to build his legend. In 1960, Toussaint was hired by Joe Banashak as an A&R man for the brand-new Minit label in practice, he wound up masterminding most of the label's recording sessions. Toussaint also began writing under the pseudonym Naomi Neville, after his mother's maiden name. Lee." In 1958, Toussaint recorded an instrumental album for RCA called The Wild Sound of New Orleans, under the alias Tousan one of his original compositions for the record, "Java," went on to become a smash hit for Dixieland jazz trumpeter Al Hirt five years later. Bartholomew made regular use of Toussaint, most notably on further sessions for Domino and Smiley Lewis, and demand for the young pianist's services grew quickly, especially after he first displayed his talent as an arranger on saxman Lee Allen's biggest hit, "Walkin' with Mr. Not long after, famed producer/songwriter Dave Bartholomew - whose role in New Orleans R&B during the '50s was fairly analogous to Toussaint's later career - hired him to lay down the piano parts at a Fats Domino recording session for which Domino himself was unavailable. Toussaint caught his first professional break at age 17, when Earl King tapped him to fill in for Smith at a live gig. As a teenager, he played in a band called the Flamingoes with bluesman Snooks Eaglin. Toussaint was born January 14, 1938, in New Orleans, and began learning piano at age seven, inspired by Professor Longhair his style later grew to include elements of Fats Domino, Huey "Piano" Smith, and Ray Charles. Even if he wasn't always the most visible figure, Toussaint's contributions to New Orleans music - and to rock & roll in general - were such that he earned induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. On top of all that, Toussaint waxed his own records from time to time, enjoying a creative peak in the '70s with several albums that highlighted his laid-back vocals and elegantly funky piano work. In keeping with that across-the-board appeal, Toussaint worked in some supporting capacity for a wide variety of rock and blues legends, particularly from the '70s on. As a composer, Toussaint proved himself a consistent hitmaker, penning more than a few gems that have since become R&B standards and been covered by countless artists working in many different styles. His productions kept with the times, moving from rollicking, earthy soul in the '60s to gritty, rambunctious funk in the '70s. Thanks to his work with numerous other artists, Toussaint bore an enormous amount of responsibility for the sound of R&B in the Crescent City from the '60s on into the '70s. Producer, songwriter, arranger, session pianist, solo artist - Allen Toussaint wore all these hats over the course of his lengthy and prolific career, and his behind-the-scenes work alone would have been enough to make him a legend of New Orleans R&B.
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