Our History, Black History: Toussaint McCall

There is an adage that says, "You never know where you are going unless you know where you have been." In the spirit of Black history month, the Monroe Dispatch will highlight stories and the history of Blacks that are not commonly known. Touissant McCall rose from an obscure area of the south to sing on many stages across the nation, serenading many with his smooth voice. Some records claim Touissant was born in Monroe, Louisiana, but those who really know him know his roots started in Delhi, Louisiana. Like many Black southern musicians and artists, Touissant was reared in the church. Born in 1937, he knew about the thumping influence of music that originated in the Black church. He began his music career with piano lessons but really honed his vocal talents in high school as others, namely girls, took notice of his melodic voice. After high school, he attended Southern University in Baton Rouge. He continued using his talents to pursue his passion for music. His musical pursuits eventually paid off when he obtained a recording contract with Ronn Records, a record company based out of Shreveport, Louisiana. In 1967, the same year he got a record deal, his song, "I'll Do it for You" peaked at number 26 R&B US charts and number 77 on the US Top 100 chart. He is best known for the song "Nothing Takes the Place of You", produced in the same year. "Nothing Takes the Place of You" peaked at number 5 on the US R&B and number 52 on the US Top 100 chart. After this success, he continued to sing and create music. Most in northeast Louisiana remember him and singing partner Barbara West of Monroe who produced many duets together in the 1960s.

In 1988, he was featured on the big screen as himself in the movie, Hairspray. In 2016 he was honored in Louisiana as an Inductee into the Northeast Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. He now lives in California where he has been for over three decades, teaching music.