Allen Toussaint Reclaims Rock Hall Statue Lost in Katrina

Legendary New Orleans producer and songwriter Allen Toussaint lost the statue recognizing his 1998 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when Hurricane Katrina destroyed his home last year. So he brightened up our Monday morning and stopped by the New York office of the Rock Hall (located in the same building as Rolling Stone) to pick up a replacement. After graciously acknowledging RS for our coverage of the plight of New Orleans (pat ourselves on the back much?), Toussaint urged all of the media types present not to let the story drift into the background. That applies to you too, readers!

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Song Stories

“Baby Got Back”

Sir Mix-a-Lot | 1992

While watching a Budweiser commercial during the Super Bowl, Sir Mix-a-Lot thought the skinny female models in the ad didn’t represent reality. So he wrote this ode to ample bottoms, featuring its famous to-the-point lyric: “I like big butts and I cannot lie.” MTV banished the video, featuring shaking booties and sexually suggestive fruit, to 9 p.m. or later. “I thought my career was over,” he told Rolling Stone. “Then I called Rick Rubin, and I told him the video was banned, and he was like, 'Great!' We sold another 2 million records.”

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