"when I meet someone like Allen Toussaint - that for me is like meeting, you know, someone the equivalent of the Dalai Lama because for me, he influenced the way I played the piano, he's a historical part of rock and roll."
- Elton John on Elvis Costello's Spectacle
 

Watch Allen Toussaint - Preview on PBS. See more from Austin City Limits.

★2013 GRAMMY nominee (2 separate nominations) - Best Americana Album for Songbook and Best Americana Roots Song for "Shrimp Po-Boy Dressed"

★2013 New Orleans Music Legends Park Inductee

★2013 National Medal of Arts Honoree under President Obama

★2012 Blues Hall of Fame Inductee (on May 9, 2012)

★2010 GRAMMY Nominee - Best Jazz Instrumental Album - The Bright Mississippi

★DownBeat Magazine's Best of the 2000's forThe Bright Mississippi

★NPR's World Cafe: amang the top 10 Albums of 2009 forThe Bright Mississippi

★The Best Record of the Year - French Jazz Academy forThe Bright Mississippi

The Bright Mississippi among 2009's best per The London Times, Village Voice, Chicago Tribune and Associated Press

2013 Featured on Will Lee's (longtime bassist of the Late Show with David Letterman) album, Love, Gratitude and Other Distractions, alongside ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons on Lee's cover of Allen's tune, "Get Out My Life Woman"

2013 Featured on John Fogerty's album, Wrote A Song For Everyone, alongside both Jennifer Hudson and Rebirth Brass Band on the track "Proud Mary"

2013 Received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Tulane University along with Dr. John, The Dalai Lama and Pulitzer Prize winner, Natasha Trethewey, at Tulane's May commencement ceremony

2013 All-star line-up including Elvis Costello, Dr. John, Irma Thomas, Trombone Shorty, Joe Stampley, Joe Henry, Cyril Neville, Deacon John, and Jon Cleary performed for Allen's 75th Birthday Tribute Concert benefiting New Orleans Artists Against Hunger & Homelessness, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Allen with Aaron Neville

2012 Worldwide Grammy Broadcast of the Tribute to Glen Campbell included Blake Shelton singing "Southern Nights," written by Allen Toussaint (and later recorded by Campbell)

2011 - 2013 DownBeat Readers Poll - ranked among the Best Arrangers in both polls each year

2010 DownBeat Readers Poll - Allen was honored among the year's best - Best Blues Album - #2, Best Jazz Album - #9, Best Beyond Album - #5 and Best Arranger - #4

2010 Offbeat Best of The Beat Awards - Winner - Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Traditional Jazz Album, Best Piano/Keyboardist.

Featured on Cyndi Lauper's DVD/CD To Memphis, With Love. Allen also joined Cyndi Lauper on The Rosie Show (hosted by Rosie O'Donnell) which aired on Oprah Winfrey Network, November 2011.

Austin City Limits January 2010 - Entire Program Devoted to Allen's Performance

Featured guest on Eric Clapton's CD, Clapton, released September 2010

Supported Neil Young on select dates of his solo tour September 2010

Featured on HBO's Emmy Award nominated hit series, Treme, playing himself

Featured guest on Trombone Shorty's Backatown CD on a cover of Allen's own song "On Your Way Down"

Featured Appearances on Elvis Costello's Spectacle on the Sundance Channel: Allen was a special musical guest in the premier episode with Elton John and was featured in a second episode playing with Levon Helm, Nick Lowe and Richard Thompson.

Featured guest on Cyndi Lauper's album of blues covers, Memphis Blues released June 2010 and performed as her featured guest with her band on the Late Show with David Letterman June, 2010

Featured performing his "From A Whisper To A Scream" on the 2010 Grammy Nominated True Blood Soundtrack

2009 Grammy Trustees Award Honoree

2009 The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame Inductee

2007 Grammy Nominee with Elvis Costello for Best Pop Vocal Album - The River In Reverse

1998 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee

Collaborations with / Songs covered by Elvis Costello, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Band, Paul McCartney, Jerry Garcia, Phish, Plant / Krauss and scores of others