DU99
Well-Known Member
Fats Domino, the amiable rock 'n' roll pioneer whose steady, pounding piano and easy baritone helped change popular music, has died aged 89.
Mark Bone, chief investigator with the Jefferson Parish coroner's office in Louisiana, said Domino died of natural causes at 3:30am Tuesday (local time).
Domino sold more than 110 million records, with hits including Blueberry Hill, Ain't It a Shame and other standards of rock 'n' roll.
He was one of the first 10 honourees named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Rolling Stone Record Guide likened him to Benjamin Franklin, the beloved old man of a revolutionary movement.
His dynamic performance style and warm vocals drew crowds for five decades. One of his show-stopping stunts was playing the piano while standing, throwing his body against it with the beat of the music and bumping the grand piano across the stage.
Domino's 1956 version of Blueberry Hill was selected for the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry of historic sound recordings worthy of preservation.
The preservation board noted that Domino insisted on performing the song despite his producer's doubts, adding that Domino's "New Orleans roots are evident in the Creole inflected cadences that add richness and depth to the performance".
The son of a violin player, Antoine Domino Jr was born on February 26, 1928, to a family that grew to include nine children.
As a youth, he taught himself popular piano styles — ragtime, blues and boogie-woogie — after his cousin left an old upright in the house.
He quit school at age 14, and worked days in a factory while playing and singing in local juke joints at night.
In 1955, he broke into the white pop charts with Ain't it a Shame, but actually sang the lyrics as "ain't that a shame".
Domino enjoyed a parade of successes through the early 1960s, including Be My Guest and I'm Ready. Another hit, I'm Walkin, became the debut single for Ricky Nelson.
Domino became a global star but stayed true to his hometown, where his fate was initially unknown after Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005.
It turned out that he and his family were rescued by boat from his home, where he lost three pianos and dozens of gold and platinum records, along with other memorabilia.
In 1949, Domino was playing at the Hideaway Club for $3 a week when he was signed by Imperial record company.
He recorded his first song, The Fat Man, in the back of a tiny French Quarter recording studio.
"They call me the Fat Man, because I weigh 200 pounds," he sang. "All the girls, they love me, 'cause I know my way around."
Mark Bone, chief investigator with the Jefferson Parish coroner's office in Louisiana, said Domino died of natural causes at 3:30am Tuesday (local time).
Domino sold more than 110 million records, with hits including Blueberry Hill, Ain't It a Shame and other standards of rock 'n' roll.
He was one of the first 10 honourees named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Rolling Stone Record Guide likened him to Benjamin Franklin, the beloved old man of a revolutionary movement.
His dynamic performance style and warm vocals drew crowds for five decades. One of his show-stopping stunts was playing the piano while standing, throwing his body against it with the beat of the music and bumping the grand piano across the stage.
Domino's 1956 version of Blueberry Hill was selected for the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry of historic sound recordings worthy of preservation.
The preservation board noted that Domino insisted on performing the song despite his producer's doubts, adding that Domino's "New Orleans roots are evident in the Creole inflected cadences that add richness and depth to the performance".
The son of a violin player, Antoine Domino Jr was born on February 26, 1928, to a family that grew to include nine children.
As a youth, he taught himself popular piano styles — ragtime, blues and boogie-woogie — after his cousin left an old upright in the house.
He quit school at age 14, and worked days in a factory while playing and singing in local juke joints at night.
In 1955, he broke into the white pop charts with Ain't it a Shame, but actually sang the lyrics as "ain't that a shame".
Domino enjoyed a parade of successes through the early 1960s, including Be My Guest and I'm Ready. Another hit, I'm Walkin, became the debut single for Ricky Nelson.
Domino became a global star but stayed true to his hometown, where his fate was initially unknown after Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005.
It turned out that he and his family were rescued by boat from his home, where he lost three pianos and dozens of gold and platinum records, along with other memorabilia.
In 1949, Domino was playing at the Hideaway Club for $3 a week when he was signed by Imperial record company.
He recorded his first song, The Fat Man, in the back of a tiny French Quarter recording studio.
"They call me the Fat Man, because I weigh 200 pounds," he sang. "All the girls, they love me, 'cause I know my way around."
