The music industry mourns the passing of soul singer and guitarist Toussaint McCall, who has died at age 89. The Delhi, Louisiana native first came to the attention of the music world in the late 1950s when he recorded on the famed Ronn Records label. Mixing elements of blues, country and the emerging soul sound, the rich-voiced McCall could mesmerize with these smooth tones, perhaps most notably heard on his signature hit, the top 5 1967 ballad “Nothing Takes the Place of You.” McCall’s subsequent releases had more limited success, but he continued to perform, making a cameo appearance as himself in the hit 1988 movie Hairspray. He was inducted into the NE Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2016. Not many modern soul music fans know the name Toussaint McCall, but just listen to his music and you’ll see he was the real deal. May he rest in peace.