Well-respected rock and roll pioneer David Louis Bartholomew, aged 100

A musician taught by Louis Armstrong’s musical tutor, who includes the hit My Ding-a-Ling among his credits, has died.

David Louis Bartholomew was an American musician, bandleader, composer, arranger and record producer who celebrated his 100th birthday on Christmas Eve 2018.

Born in 1918, he was prominent in the music of New Orleans in the second half of the 20th Century. Although firstly a trumpeter he was also active in many other musical genres.

He also learned to play the tuba and performed on paddle boats heading up and down the Mississippi River.

At the end of the Second World War Bartholomew returned to New Orleans and by the end of 1945 he had started his own dance band called Dave Bartholomew and the Dew Droppers.

Other members of the group were saxophonists Elvin Tyler, Herb Hardesty and Clarence Hall, bass player Frank Fields, guitarist Ernest McLean, pianist Salvador Doucette and drummer Earl Palmer. They were later joined by saxophonist Lee Allen.

Upon his induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame he was cited as a musical pioneer and as one of the main people involved with the jump from blues and swing to R&B.

Over the years many musicians have recorded his songs but it is his relationship with Fats Domino that produced his greatest success.

In the mid-1950s the pair penned more than 40 hits for Imperial Records including two songs that reached number one in the Billboard R&B chart – Goin’ Home and Ain’t That A Shame.

He also wrote several other well known songs such as I Hear You Knocking, Blue Monday, I’m Walkin’, One Night and My Ding-A-Ling.

Over the years his songs have gained success for other artists in the music charts.

Ain’t That A Shame was a success for Pat Boone, I Hear You Knocking was a hit for Gale Storm in the 1950s and Dave Edmonds in the 1970s while Witchcraft and One Night proved hits for Elvis Presley and I’m Walkin’ was good for Ricky Nelson.

Bartholomew is a member of the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and also the Louisiana Hall of Fame.

In the 1970s and ’80s Bartholomew led a traditional Dixieland Jazz band in New Orleans and he released an album called Dave Bartholomew’s New Orleans Jazz Band in 1981.

He also headed on the road as he took part in the Fats Domino’s international tours and released two more albums before he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.

He continued to make occasional appearances with his band at festivals around America.

During the 1990s Bartholomew released two further albums – Dave Bartholomew and the Maryland Jazz Band in 1995 and the New Orleans Big Beat in 1998.

Bartholomew died of heart failure yesterday.

David Louis Bartholomew wrote hits for many great artists.