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Fats Domino, an amiable, unassuming and smiling faced pioneer of rock and roll, died yesterday at age 89 in his daughter’s New Orleans home. Mark Bone, the chief investigator for the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s office, reported that he died from natural causes.
Born in 1928 an done of nine siblings, Antoine Domino, or “Fats” as he later came to be known, dropped out of school at a young age to pursue a career in music. He spent his evenings playing piano and performing in a New Orleans bar while working in a mattress factory during the day to supplement his income. The fledgling piano player’s career received a shot in the arm when he was given the nickname “Fats” by a local bandleader Billy Diamond. Domino was subsequently discovered by the man who later became his frequent collaborator and steady producer, Dave Bartholomew of Imperial Records. Under the auspices of Imperial Domino had his first taste of success with the release of his single, 'The Fat Man', one of select number of tracks that have been cited as one of the first examples of seminal rock ‘n’ roll. The record went on to sell a million copies, and gradually peaked at number two on the R&B charts.
Domino broke into the mainstream pop charts in 1955 when the song 'Ain’t That a Shame' landed in the Top Ten. It remains a rock standard to this day, one covered by dozens of artists. The most notable versions were recorded by John Lennon on his Rock ‘n’ Roll album, Pat Boone, The Four Seasons, and Cheap Trick, whose version on their Cheap Trick at Budokan album proved a springboard to their success. The following year, Domino released what became his most beloved and sentimental single, 'Blueberry Hill', which eventually became the highest charting hit of his prolific career. Further successes included 'Walking to New Orleans', 'Whole Lotta Loving', 'I’m Ready', and 'I Want to Walk You Home', each of which made the Top 40.
In 1963, Domino and Imperial parted ways. He had little commercial successes after that, but Domino still remained relevant, covering the Beatles 'Lady Madonna', a song which Paul McCartney originally penned as a homage of sorts to the man himself. Indeed, Domino would continue to tour long after his most productive years were behind him, delivering his last public performance in 2007.
Compared to the larger than life personalities of his contemporaries, particularly Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Jerry Lee Lewis, Domino was notoriously reserved and reclusive. Nevertheless, as his nickname implied, his was a sizable force in his own right. A 2007 album entitled Goin’ Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino featured a host of marquee names demonstrating their debt to Domino through covers of his songs. A seminal figure who'll be sorely missed.
