Legendary New Orleans Performer Allen Toussaint Dead at 77

Legendary New Orleans musician and composer Allen Toussaint has died after suffering a heart attack following a concert he performed in the Spanish capital.

Madrid emergency services spokesman Javier Ayuso says rescue workers were called to Toussaint's hotel early Tuesday morning and managed to revive him after he suffered a heart attack.

But Ayuso says the 77-year-old Toussaint stopped breathing during the ambulance ride to a hospital and efforts to revive him again were unsuccessful.

Toussaint performed Monday night at Madrid's Lara Theater.

Toussaint had numerous hits to his name. He penned the 1966 Lee Dorsey classic "Working in the Coal Mine" and produced Dr. John's 1973 hit "Right Place, Wrong Time" and 1975's "Lady Marmalade" by the vocal trio Labelle.

His influence could be felt far outside of R&B circles. The song "Southern Nights," which Toussaint wrote and performed, was later covered by country star Glen Campbell and hip-hop artists in the '80s and '90s often sampled from his songs. Other songs were covered by artists as diverse as The Rolling Stones, Jerry Garcia and Robert Palmer.

He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. In 2013 he was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama.

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