Congratulations to Allen Toussaint: he will be among the newest members inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in a ceremony on June 16 in New York City. Toussaint's debut appearance on Austin City Limits, which first aired last year and featured songs from his Nonesuch debut album, The Bright Mississippi, will be rebroadcast on PBS stations across the US this weekend.
Congratulations to Allen Toussaint: he will be among the newest members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the organization's 42nd Annual Induction and Awards Dinner slated for Thursday, June 16, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Fellow 2011 inductees include Garth Brooks, Leon Russell, John Bettis, and the songwriting team of Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly.
"We are inspired by the striking caliber and range of the 2011 Songwriters Hall of Fame class," says Songwriters Hall of Fame Chairman (and inductee) Jimmy Webb. "John, Garth, Leon, Billy, Tom and Allen each represent a unique breed of artist, warmly respected by their peers and revered by all lovers of song. As songwriters, their work has forever enriched our world's music."
Toussaint, who made his Nonesuch album debut with 2009's The Bright Mississippi, performs songs from the album and other career favorites on Austin City Limits, airing this weekend on PBS stations across the US. The episode was taped in June 2009 and was originally broadcast last year as part of ACL's 35 anniversary season (pictured above in a photo by Scott Newton).
Quint Davis, the producer and director of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, at which Toussaint will appear again this year, said at the time: “The musical and artistic magic that lives in the soul of the great American tradition of Austin City Limits certainly reached into the depths of the New Orleans soul with it's truly historic hosting of New Orleans greatest modern musical icon, Allen Toussaint." Quint went on to say of the performance:
In his Austin City Limits experience, Allen opened up as never before on film, and visited all of the magical places that make him so gifted and so special. Never to my knowledge, has there been such a complete visitation to the musical universe that is Allen Toussaint, as happened on that storied Austin stage, on that very special day.
For more on the show and this weekend's broadcast, visit austincitylimits.org.
To pick up a copy of Allen Toussaint's The Bright Mississippi, head to the Nonesuch Store, where orders include high-quality, 320 kbps MP3s of the album at checkout.
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