Fats Domino is featured on a poster to promote the annual event

Lionel Richie and Elvis Costello also feature in the line-up for the event, which takes place in April and May.

"Find a way to come back because this is where your heart is," said singer Irma Thomas, in an appeal to residents whose homes remain flood-damaged.

The festival looked in doubt until corporate sponsorship was secured.

Heart and soul

"The true heart and soul of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, as with New Orleans itself, is music," said the event's organiser Quint Davis.

"It's the force that drives and defines us. It's not just for entertainment, but it feeds our soul."

Rock and roll pioneer Domino had been feared dead after the flooding that overwhelmed the city following Hurricane Katrina.

The 77-year-old, whose hits include Blueberry Hill and Walking To New Orleans, was rescued from the floodwaters and spotted in a newspaper photograph by his daughter.

The musician, famed for his fast-playing piano style, features on a poster for the event, which runs across two weekends on 28-30 April and 5-7 May.