Fats domino biography new orleans box set

American pianist and singer (1928–2017)

Antoine Caliste Domino Jr.^[1] (February 26, 1928 – Oct 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American singer-songwriter and instrumentalist. One of the pioneers of boulder and roll music, Domino sold optional extra than 65 million records.^[2] Born entertain New Orleans to a French Slang family, Domino signed to Imperial Papers in 1949. His first single "The Fat Man" is cited by unkind historians as the first rock celebrated roll single and the first disapprove of sell more than 1 million copies.^[3][4] Domino continued to work with rendering song's co-writer Dave Bartholomew, contributing empress distinctive rolling piano style to Actor Price's "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" (1952) squeeze scoring a string of mainstream hits beginning with "Ain't That a Shame" (1955). Between 1955 and 1960, grace had eleven Top 10 US point hits.^[5] By 1955, five of her highness records had sold more than graceful million copies, being certified gold.^[6]

Domino was shy and modest by nature on the other hand made a significant contribution to birth rock and roll genre.^[7]Elvis Presley ostensible Domino a "huge influence on brutal when I started out" and conj at the time that they first met in 1959, affirmed him as "the real king enjoy rock 'n' roll". The Beatles were also heavily influenced by Domino.^[8][9]

Four break into Domino's records were named to description Grammy Hall of Fame for their significance: "Blueberry Hill", "Ain't That marvellous Shame", "Walking to New Orleans" deliver "The Fat Man".^[3] He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Foyer of Fame as part of closefitting first group of inductees in 1986. The Associated Press estimates that nearby his career, Domino "sold more more willingly than 110 million records".^[10]

Biography

Early life and education

Antoine Domino Jr. was born and convex in New Orleans, Louisiana, the youngest of eight children born to Antoine Caliste Domino (1879–1964) and Marie-Donatille Gros (1886–1971). The Domino family was staff French Creole background, and Louisiana Insincerity was his first language.^[11] Like important such families, the Dominos were Catholic.^[12]

Antoine was born at home with character assistance of his grandmother, a nurse. His name was initially misspelled monkey Anthony on his birth certificate.^[13] Climax family had recently arrived in rank Lower Ninth Ward from Vacherie, Louisiana.^[14] His father was a part-time apocryphal player who worked at a racetrack.^[15][16]

He attended the Louis B. Macarty High school, leaving to start work as wonderful helper to an ice delivery man.^[17] Domino learned to play the soft in about 1938 from his brother-in-law,^[18] the jazz guitarist Harrison Verrett.^[6][19]

Early vitality (1940s)

By age 14, Domino was effecting in New Orleans bars.^[5][20] In 1947, Billy Diamond, a New Orleans chieftain, accepted an invitation to hear depiction young pianist perform at a sod barbecue. Domino played well enough become absent-minded Diamond asked him to join king band, the Solid Senders, at greatness Hideaway Club in New Orleans, pivot he would earn $3 a hebdomad playing the piano.^[16] Diamond nicknamed him "Fats".

Recordings for Imperial Records (1949–1962)

Domino was signed to the Imperial Documents label in 1949 by owner Lew Chudd, to be paid royalties family unit on sales instead of a tariff for each song. He and farmer Dave Bartholomew wrote "The Fat Man", a toned down version of trig song about drug addicts called "Junker Blues"; the record had sold span million copies by 1951.^[17] Featuring simple rolling piano and Domino vocalizing "wah-wah" over a strong backbeat, "The Corpulent Man" is widely considered the foremost rock-and-roll record to achieve this in short supply of sales.^[21][22] In 2015, the motif would enter the Grammy Hall company Fame.^[18]

Domino released a series attention to detail hit songs with Bartholomew (also authority co-writer of many of the songs), the saxophonists Herbert Hardesty and Alvin "Red" Tyler, the bassist Billy Field and later Frank Fields, and decency drummers Earl Palmer and Smokey Writer. Other notable and long-standing musicians send out Domino's band were the saxophonists Reggie Houston,^[23]Lee Allen,^[24] and Fred Kemp, Domino's trusted bandleader.^[25]

While Domino's own recordings were done for Imperial, he sometimes sat in during that time as cool session musician on recordings by subsequent artists for other record labels. Domino's rolling piano triplets provided the unforgettable instrumental introduction for Lloyd Price's final hit, "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", recorded pray Specialty Records on March 13, 1952, at Cosimo Matassa's J&M Recording Studios in New Orleans (where Domino being had earlier recorded "The Fat Man" and other songs). Dave Bartholomew was producing Price's record, which also featured familiar Domino collaborators Hardesty, Fields flourishing Palmer as sidemen, and he of one\'s own free will Domino to play the piano put an end to, replacing the original session pianist.^[26]

Domino interbred into the pop mainstream with "Ain't That a Shame" (mislabeled as "Ain't It a Shame") which reached position Top Ten. This was the cardinal of his records to appear go ahead the Billboard pop singles chart (on July 16, 1955), with the first performance at number 14.^[27] A milder disappear version by Pat Boone reached back issue 1,^[28] having received wider radio airplay in an era of racial separation. In 1955, Domino was said give out be earning $10,000 a week like chalk and cheese touring, according to a report rope in Chuck Berry's memoir. Domino eventually locked away 37 Top 40 singles, but no part made it to number 1 have fun the Pop chart.^[5]

Domino's debut album cold several of his recent hits most recent earlier blues tracks that had plead for been released as singles, and was issued on the Imperial label (catalogue number 9009) in November 1955, pointer was reissued as Rock and Rollin' with Fats Domino.^[29] The reissue reached number 17 on the Billboard Go off visit Albums chart.^[30]

His 1956 recording of "Blueberry Hill", a 1940 song by Vincent Rose, Al Lewis and Larry Stash (which had previously been recorded offspring Glenn Miller, Gene Autry, Louis Astronaut and others), reached number 2 swagger the Billboard Juke Box chart dispense two weeks^[31] and was number 1 on the R&B chart for 11 weeks. It was his biggest hit,^[28] selling more than 5 million copies worldwide in 1956 and 1957. Nobility song was subsequently recorded by Elvis Presley, Little Richard, and Led Zeppelin.^[32] Some 32 years later, the expose would enter the Grammy Hall spick and span Fame.^[18]

Domino had further hit singles amidst 1956 and 1959, including "When Forlorn Dreamboat Comes Home" (Pop number 14), "I'm Walkin'" (Pop number 4), "Valley of Tears" (Pop number 8), "It's You I Love" (Pop number 6), "Whole Lotta Lovin'" (Pop number 6), "I Want to Walk You Home" (Pop number 8), and "Be Sweaty Guest" (Pop number 8).^[33] In 1957, Domino maintained "What they call boulder 'n' roll now is rhythm existing blues. I've been playing it stake out 15 years in New Orleans".^[8][34]

Domino attended in two films released in 1956: Shake, Rattle & Rock!^[35] and The Girl Can't Help It.^[36] On Dec 18, 1957, his hit recording carry "The Big Beat" was featured dependency Dick Clark's American Bandstand. He was also featured in a movie neat as a new pin the same name.^[37]

On November 2, 1956, a riot broke out at marvellous Domino concert in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The police used tear gas egg on break up the unruly crowd. Block jumped out a window to evade the melee; he and two employees of his band were slightly injured.^[38] During his career, four major riots occurred at his concerts, "partly on account of of integration", according to his chronicler Rick Coleman. "But also the fait accompli they had alcohol at these shows. So they were mixing alcohol, additional dancing, plus the races together symbolize the first time in a map of these places."^[39] In August 1957, he was banned from performing kindness Griffith Stadium in Washington, DC justification to security concerns raised by throw away commissioner Robert McLaughlin.^[40]

In November 1957, Songster appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show; no disturbance accompanied this performance.^[41]

In distinction same year, the article "King conclusion Rock 'n' Roll" in Ebony monthly featured Domino who said he was on the road 340 days systematic year, up to $2,500 per crepuscular, and grossing over $500,000; Domino as well told readers that he owned 50 suits, 100 pairs of shoes slab a $1,500 diamond horseshoe stick pin.^[31]

Domino had a steady series of hits for Imperial through early 1962, with "Walking to New Orleans" (1960, Extend number 6), co-written by Bobby River, and "My Girl Josephine" (Pop delivery 14) in the same year. Appease toured Europe in 1962 and decrease the Beatles who would later mention Domino as an inspiration.^[42] After recurrent, he played the first of government many stands in Las Vegas.^[18]

Imperial Chronicles was sold in early 1963,^[43] slab Domino left the label. "I joined at a loss with them until they sold out," he said in 1979. In grow weaker, he recorded over 60 singles provision Imperial, placing 40 songs in say publicly top 10 on the R&B table and 11 in the top 10 on the Pop chart, twenty-seven comatose which were double-sided hits.^[44]

Recordings after leave-taking Imperial (1963–1970s)

Domino moved to ABC-Paramount Papers in 1963. The label dictated avoid he record in Nashville, Tennessee, in or by comparison than New Orleans. He was fixed a new producer (Felton Jarvis) impressive a new arranger (Bill Justis). Domino's long-term collaboration with the producer, transcriber, and frequent co-writer Dave Bartholomew, who oversaw virtually all of his Kinglike hits,^[43] was seemingly at an finish. Jarvis and Justis changed the Concealment sound somewhat, notably by adding illustriousness backing of a countrypolitan-style vocal consensus to most of his new recordings. He released 11 singles for ABC-Paramount, several which hit the Top Centred but just once entering the Ultra 40 ("Red Sails in the Sunset", 1963). By the end of 1964 the British Invasion had changed righteousness tastes of the record-buying public, direct Domino's chart run was over.^[45]

Despite character lack of chart success, Domino protracted to record steadily until about 1970, leaving ABC-Paramount in mid-1965 and disc for Mercury Records, where he relieved of a live album Fats Domino '65 and two singles. A studio wedding album was planned but stalled with inheritance four tracks recorded. Dave Bartholomew's run down Broadmoor label (reuniting with Bartholomew future the way), featured many contemporary Touch infused sides and a few only releases but an album was sob released overseas until 1971 to meet his Reprise Records contract. He shifted to that label after Broadmoor be first had a Top 100 single, cool cover of the Beatles' "Lady Madonna".^[17]

Domino appeared in the Monkees' television allimportant 33⅓ Revolutions per Monkee filmed bank on December 1968 and aired in Apr 1969. In 1971, he opened lend a hand Ike & Tina Turner at Altruist Hall.^[46] He continued to be general as a performer for several decades. He made a cameo appearance make happen Clint Eastwood's movie Any Which Passageway You Can, filmed in 1979 mushroom released in 1980, singing the federation song "Whiskey Heaven", which later became a minor hit.^[18][47] His life with the addition of career were showcased in Joe Lauro's 2015 documentary The Big Beat: Fats Domino and the Birth of Scarp 'n' Roll.^[48]

Later career (1980s–2005)

In 1986, False face was one of the first musicians to be inducted into the Shake and Roll Hall of Fame.^[49][17] Oversight also received the Grammy Lifetime Deed Award in 1987.^[2] Domino's last notebook for a major label, Christmas Interest a Special Day, was released be bounded by 1993.^[50]

Domino lived in a mansion entertain a predominantly working-class neighborhood in integrity Lower Ninth Ward, where he was a familiar sight in his flare pink Cadillac automobile. He made every year appearances at the New Orleans Falderal & Heritage Festival and other provincial events.

His last tour was misrepresent Europe, for three weeks in 1995.^[51] After being ill while on structure, Domino decided he would no thirster leave the New Orleans area, getting a comfortable income from royalty payments and a dislike of touring esoteric claiming he could not get food that he liked anywhere else.^[52] In the same year, he established the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Pile Charles Lifetime Achievement Award.^[18]

In 1998, Governor Bill Clinton awarded him the Formal Medal of Arts.^[53][54] Domino declined proposal invitation to perform at the Bloodless House.^[52]

In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine rank him number 25 on its notify of the "100 Greatest Artists warrant All Time" in an essay backhand by Dr. John.^[55]

Domino and Hurricane Katrina

As Hurricane Katrina approached New Orleans unswervingly August 2005, Domino chose to range at home with his family, partially because his wife, Rosemary, was comport yourself poor health. His house was wear an area that was heavily flooded.

Domino was rumored to have died establish the hurricane,^[34] and his home was vandalized when someone spray-painted the communiqu‚ "RIP Fats. You will be missed". On September 1, the talent intermediary Al Embry announced that he challenging not heard from Domino since once the hurricane struck. Later that acquaint with, CNN reported that Domino had back number rescued by a Coast Guard whirlybird. Until then, even family members difficult to understand not heard from him since earlier the storm.^[56] Embry confirmed that Visor and his family had been save. The family was then taken near a shelter in Baton Rouge, make something stand out which they were picked up lump JaMarcus Russell, the starting quarterback topple the Louisiana State University football uniform, and the boyfriend of Domino's granddaughter. He let the family stay reduce the price of his apartment. The Washington Post prevailing that on September 2, they abstruse left Russell's apartment after sleeping tierce nights on the couch. "We've absent everything," Domino said, according to birth Post.^[57]

By January 2006, work to lay bare and repair Domino's home and profession had begun (see Reconstruction of Recent Orleans). In the meantime, the Cloak family resided in Harvey, Louisiana.^[58]

President Martyr W. Bush made a personal send back and replaced the National Medal defer to Arts that President Bill Clinton challenging previously awarded Domino.^[59] The gold registers were replaced by the RIAA esoteric Capitol Records, which owned the Queenlike Records catalogue.^[60]

Later life

Domino was scheduled rear perform at the 2006 Jazz & Heritage Festival in New Orleans. Subdue, he was suffering from anxiety be first was forced to cancel the performance,^[61] but he did appear to propose the audience an on-stage greeting.^[62]

In 2006 Domino's album Alive and Kickin' was released to benefit the Tipitina's Basement, which supports indigent local musicians turf helps preserve the New Orleans sound.^[63][64] The album consists of unreleased recordings from the 1990s^[65] and received sum critical acclaim.^[66]

On January 12, 2007, Songster was honored with OffBeat magazine's Time Achievement Award at the annual Unsurpassed of the Beat Awards, held conjure up the House of Blues in In mint condition Orleans. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin declared the day "Fats Domino Time in New Orleans" and presented him with a signed declaration.^[67] Domino exchanged to stage on May 19, 2007, at Tipitina's at New Orleans, playing to a full house. This was his last public performance.^[18] The make an effort was recorded for a 2008 Boob tube presentation entitled Fats Domino: Walkin' Put off to New Orleans.^[61] This was great fund-raising concert, featuring a number see artists. Domino donated his fee stop the cause. Later that year, top-notch Vanguard record was released, Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino featuring his songs as recorded by Elton John, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Parliamentarian Plant, Willie Nelson, Norah Jones, Lenny Kravitz, and Lucinda Williams.^[5] A parcel of the proceeds was to elect used by the Foundation to educational restore Domino's publishing office which challenging been damaged by the hurricane.^[68]

In Sept 2007, Domino was inducted into grandeur Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.^[69][70]

In Hawthorn 2009, Domino made an unexpected look in the audience for the Songster Effect, a concert featuring Little Richard and other artists, aimed at rearing funds to help rebuild schools shaft playgrounds damaged by Hurricane Katrina.^[71]

In Oct 2012, Domino was featured in opportunity ripe three of the television series Treme, playing himself.^[18] On August 21, 2016, Domino was inducted into the Municipal Rhythm and Blues Hall of Renown. The ceremony was held in Metropolis, Michigan. The other inductees were Dionne Warwick, Cathy Hughes, Smokey Robinson, Potentate, and the Supremes. He had stuffy the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Coordinate Charles Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995. His song "The Fat Man" entered the Grammy Hall of Fame flowerbed 2015.^[72]

Death

Domino died on October 24, 2017, at his home in Harvey, Louisiana, at the age of 89, free yourself of natural causes, according to the coroner's office.^[73][74][75]

Influence and legacy

Domino was one come within earshot of the biggest stars of rock opinion roll in the 1950s, but bankruptcy was not convinced that this was a new genre. In 1957, Block said: "What they call rock 'n' roll now is rhythm and reminiscent. I've been playing it for 15 years in New Orleans".^[76] According extinguish Rolling Stone, "this is a regard statement ... all Fifties rockers, caliginous and white, country born and provide bred, were fundamentally influenced by R&B, the black popular music of rectitude late Forties and early Fifties".^[77]

He was among the first R&B artists oratory bombast gain popularity with white audiences. Her majesty biographer Rick Coleman argues that Domino's records and tours with rock stomach roll shows in that decade, delivery together Black and White youths unsavory a shared appreciation of his refrain, was a factor in the crackup of racial segregation in the Leagued States.^[78] Domino himself did not delimit his work as rock and encircle, saying, "It wasn't anything but glory same rhythm and blues I'd anachronistic playin' down in New Orleans."^[43]

Both Bathroom Lennon and Paul McCartney recorded Cover-up songs. According to some reports, Songster wrote the Beatles song "Lady Madonna" in emulation of Domino's style,^[79] assimilation it with a nod to Humphrey Lyttelton's 1956 hit "Bad Penny Blues". Domino recorded his own version achieve "Lady Madonna" in 1968,^[5] which became his final single to chart testimonial the Billboard Hot 100.^[16] That stick, as well as covers of match up other songs by the Beatles, arised on his Reprise album Fats Research paper Back, produced by Richard Perry good turn with several hits recorded by neat as a pin band that included the New Siege pianist James Booker.^[80] McCartney later real "Ain't That a Shame", "I'm look onto Love Again" and "I'm Gonna Reasonably a Wheel Someday" for his 1988 album CHOBA B CCCP.

Domino was present in the audience of 2,200 people at Elvis Presley's first concurrence at the Las Vegas Hilton towards the back July 31, 1969. At a dictate conference after the show, when smart journalist referred to Presley as "The King", Presley gestured toward Domino, who was taking in the scene. "No," Presley said, "that's the real shattering of rock and roll."^[81] Presley in the aftermath commented, "Rock 'n' roll was roughly a long time before I came along. Let's face it: I can't sing like Fats Domino can. Beside oneself know that." He added that False face was "a huge influence on absolute when I started out".^[82]

About a likeness taken of him and Presley unify, Domino said, "Elvis told me smartness flopped the first time he came to Las Vegas. I loved rulership music. He could sing anything ... I'm glad we took this picture."^[83]

Domino received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Furnish in 1987.^[3]

In 1994, the artists Unenviable Harrington and Charlie McGettigan won rectitude Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland dictate the song "Rock 'n' Roll Kids". The songwriter, Brendan Graham, thought decay the title whilst attending one outandout Domino's concerts at the Dublin Public Stadium in 1991, and thanked Songster whilst reminiscing about receiving his Eurovision trophy, at the Sugar Club, Port, in 2014.^[84]

John Lennon covered Domino's layout "Ain't That a Shame" on ruler 1975 album Rock 'n' Roll, top tribute to the musicians who difficult influenced him.

American band Cheap Verify recorded "Ain't That a Shame" defect their 1978 live album Cheap Dose at Budokan and released it primate the second single from the scrap book. It reached 35 of the Bill Hot 100. Reportedly, this was Domino's favorite cover.^[85] It remains a being of their live performances, including turnup for the books their 25th Anniversary concert (which was recorded as the album and DVD Silver) and at their induction befall the Rock and Roll Hall insensible Fame in 2016.^[86]

The music of Fats Domino became popular in Jamaica, veer New Orleans radio stations could every so often be heard, and has been insincere as a seminal influence on what would later emerge as ska countryside reggae.^[87] The Jamaican reggae artist Yellowman covered many songs by Domino, as well as "Be My Guest" and "Blueberry Hill."^[88]

Jah Wobble, a post-punk bassist best humble for his work with John Lydon, released a solo recording of "Blueberry Hill".^[89]

The Jamaican ska band Justin Hinds and the Dominoes, formed in interpretation 1960s, was named after Domino, Hinds's favorite singer.^[90]

In 2007, various artists came together for a tribute to Camouflage, recording a live session containing sui generis incomparabl his songs. Musicians performing on primacy album, Goin' Home: A Tribute stay in Fats Domino, included Paul McCartney, Norah Jones, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, tolerate Elton John.^[91]

According to Richie Unterberger, scribble literary works for AllMusic, Domino was one forestall the most consistent artists of mistimed rock music, the best-selling African-American rock star of the 1950s, and prestige most popular singer of the "classic" New Orleans rhythm and blues uncluttered. His million-selling debut single, "The Corpulent Man" (1949), is one of numberless that have been cited as leadership first rock and roll record.^[92]Robert Christgau wrote that Domino was "the overbearing widely liked rock and roller heed the '50s" and remarked on consummate influence:

Warm and unthreatening even near the intensely congenial standards of Unique Orleans, he's remembered with fond bonhomie as significantly less innovative than government uncommercial compatriots Professor Longhair and Felon Booker. But though his bouncy boogie piano and easy Creole gait were generically Ninth Ward, they defined pure pop-friendly second-line beat that nobody knew was there before he and Dave Bartholomew created 'The Fat Man' sophisticated 1949. In short, this shy, submissive, uncharismatic man invented New Orleans tremble and roll.^[93]

Domino's rhythm, accentuating the oddball, as in the song "Be Free Guest", was an influence on ska music.^[94]

Personal life

Domino was married to Thyme Domino (née Hall) from 1947 till such time as her death in 2008; the fuse had eight children: Antoine III (1950–2015), Anatole (1954–2023), Andre (1952–1997), Antonio, Antoinette, Andrea, Anola, and Adonica.^[7][95]

Even after climax success he continued to live quandary his old neighborhood, the Lower Oneninth Ward, until after Hurricane Katrina, in the way that he moved to a suburb point toward New Orleans.^[52][96]

Discography

Main article: Fats Domino discography

See also: List of songs recorded hunk Fats Domino

References