AIN’T THAT A SHAME
Singing legend dies, aged 89
ROCK ’N’ ROLL’S founding father Fats Domino has died, aged 89.
The American singer and pianist was known for hits including Blueberry Hill and Ain’t That A Shame.
He pioneered rock ’n’ roll and inspired countless stars, including Elvis Presley and The Beatles.
The father of 13 – real name Antoine Domino Jr – died from natural causes on Tuesday, surrounded by his family in his native city of New Orleans.
Amid a host of tributes, singer Harry Connick Jr tweeted: “RIP Fats Domino. You helped pave the way for New Orleans piano players. See you on top of that Blueberry Hill in the sky.”
Scots singer-songwriter KT Tunstall added: “Thank you, Fats Domino, you were an amazing music teacher on your records.”
Domino was born and raised in the Big Easy and first broke into the city’s rock ’n’ roll scene in the late 1940s after joining the band The Solid Senders.
The youngest of eight siblings, his talent on the piano was apparent from an early age. He went on to develop his unique style and vocals that drew millions of fans from around the world.
His first record “The Fat Man” attracted international attention – selling a million copies by 1953 after it was released in 1949. According to music historians, it is the first rock ’n’ roll record. Throughout his career, he sold more than 65million records – more than any rocker of the 50s except Elvis. In 1986, he was among the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But by his later life, Domino would no longer leave New Orleans – even to accept the award. Rolling Stone magazine put him at No25 in their list of Greatest Recording Artists of All Time. Married by the age of 20, the names of his eight children all began with the letter A. When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005, Domino refused to leave his home as his bedridden wife Rosemary could not move. He was feared to be one of thousands to have perished in the disaster, with graffiti appearing on his home in the aftermath saying, “RIP Fats, You Will Be Missed.” Days after the hurricane struck, his daughter Karen spotted her father being helped into a boat. Burglar Alan Spendlow, 60, who has terminal cancer, could die in jail after being caught breaking into a house in Hull hoping to raise money for his own funeral.