Fats Domino, rock’s original piano man, dies
Pioneer crooner helped shape early years of rock ’n’ roll
Fats Domino, who shaped the infancy of rock ’n’ roll with songs like Blueberry Hill, The Fat Man, Ain’t That a Shame and I’m Walkin’, will be remembered for the smooth rollicking piano style he brought from his beloved New Orleans and gave to the world.
The rock pioneer died Tuesday, surrounded by family and friends. He was 89.
Born Antoine Dominique Domino on Feb. 26, 1928, Domino got the nickname “Fats” playing piano at clubs when he was a child. At 14, he dropped out of school so he could get a day job at a factory and play the bars at night.
Domino almost lost his hand at his factory job, and it is to the world’s benefit that he did not as he mastered the piano and the New Orleans R&B style he would soon share with a wider audience.
In 1949, Domino joined forces with trumpet player Dave Bartholomew to record his first single, The Fat Man, which went on to sell 1 million copies. It was one of the first rock ’n’ roll songs to do so.
In the ’50s, rock ’n’ roll was coming into its own, and Domino was a driving force behind it. In
1955, his song Ain’t That a Shame became a top 10 hit and was recorded by Pat Boone, which made it a hit among teens. Walking to New Orleans, Blueberry Hill and I’m Walkin’ were just some of his more than three dozen top 40 hits.
Although his success declined as musical tastes shifted in the
’60s, Domino kept recording. His music influenced the next generation of artists, including The Beatles, whose Lady Madonna echoed his style. Billy Joel inducted Domino into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in its first ceremony in 1986, calling him the man “who proved that the piano was a rock ’n’ roll instrument.”
Later in his career, Domino vowed to give up touring and never leave New Orleans. Even an invitation from President Clinton to perform at the White House after he received a National Medal of Arts in 1998 was not enough to persuade him to leave.
“There’s no place like New Orleans for me,” he told USA TODAY in 2007. “I like that nightclubs stay open all day and all night. People are friendly here. You can’t find better food.”
When Domino’s beloved city was hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, it was unclear whether Domino had survived in the days after the storm. He had, in fact, been rescued by helicopter.
In 2007, New Orleans musicians interpreted his classic songs on Goin’ Home, a tribute album whose proceeds went to help rebuild his home. (Also part of the project: Tom Petty, who recorded a version of I’m Walkin.’)
Domino also lost his National Medal of Arts in the hurricane. A year later, President George W. Bush visited him at home to deliver the replacement.
As he prepared to start over in the city he still vowed never to leave, Domino told USA TODAY, “I hope it goes well with the Lord; that’s what I’ve got to prepare for. We’re only passing through.”