When the good times roll in New Orleans, it’s a safe bet that Allen Toussaint got the party started. The Crescent City legend and 1998 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee is a singer, pianist, producer, bandleader and composer whose numerous hits include “Working in the Coalmine,” “Ride Your Pony” and “Southern Nights.” For many years, he mostly worked behind the scenes, penning and producing records by Lee Dorsey, Irma Thomas, and the Meters. The rich New Orleans piano tradition resides in his fingers, and he’s been generously sharing the boogie in recent years, collaborating with Elvis Costello on the 2006 masterpiece The River in Reverse.

“Allen Toussaint has exerted an unparalleled influence over the New Orleans music scene.” —New Orleans Times Picayune