Fats Domino

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Fats Domino
Fats Domino in concert in France, 1992.
Fats Domino in concert in France, 1992.
Background information
Birth name Antoine Dominique Domino
Also known as Fats
Born February 26, 1928 (1928-02-26) (age 80)
Origin New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Genre(s) R&B (New Orleans)
Rock and roll
Piano blues
Boogie-woogie
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s) Piano
Years active 1949–Present
Label(s) Imperial, ABC, Mercury, Broadmoor, Reprise, Sonet, Warner Bros. Records, Toot Toot

Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino (born February 26, 1928 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is a classic R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Imperial Records era (1949-1962)

Domino first attracted national attention with "The Fat Man" in 1949 on Imperial Records. This song is an early rock and roll record, featuring a rolling piano and Domino doing "wah-wah" vocalizing over a fat back beat. It sold over a million copies and is widely regarded as the first rock and roll record to do so.

Fats Domino then released a series of hit songs with producer and co-writer Dave Bartholomew, saxophonists Herbert Hardesty and Alvin "Red" Tyler and drummer Earl Palmer. Other notable and long-standing musicians in Domino's band were saxophonists Reggie Houston, Lee Allen, and Fred Kemp, who was also Domino's trusted bandleader. Domino finally crossed into the pop mainstream with "Ain't That a Shame" (1955), which hit the Top Ten, though Pat Boone characteristically hit #1 with a milder cover of the song that received wider radio airplay in a racially-segregated era. Domino would eventually release 37 Top 40 singles, "Whole Lotta Loving" and "Blue Monday" among them.

His 1956 up tempo version of the 1940 Vincent Rose, Al Lewis & Larry Stock song, "Blueberry Hill" reached #2 in the Top 40, was #1 on the R&B charts for 11 weeks, and was his biggest hit. "Blueberry Hill" sold more than 5 million copies worldwide in 1956-57. The song had earlier been recorded by Gene Autry, and Louis Armstrong among many others.

Fats appeared in two films released in 1956: Shake, Rattle & Rock![1] and The Girl Can't Help It.[2] On December 18, 1957, Domino's hit "The Big Beat" was featured on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.

Domino continued to have a steady series of hits for Imperial through early 1962, including "Walkin' to New Orleans" (1960) co-written by Bobby Charles. After Imperial Records was sold to outside interests in early 1963, Domino left the label: "I stuck with them until they sold out", he claimed in 1979. In all, Domino recorded over 60 singles for the label, placing 40 songs in the top 10 on the R&B charts, and scoring 11 top 10 singles on the pop charts. As well, twenty-two of Domino's Imperial singles were double-sided hits.

[edit] Post-Imperial recording career (1963-1970s)

Domino moved to ABC-Paramount Records in 1963, where the label dictated that he would record in Nashville rather than New Orleans. As well, he was assigned a new producer (Felton Jarvis) and a new arranger (Bill Justis) -- Domino's long-term collaboration with producer/arranger/frequent co-writer Dave Bartholomew, who oversaw virtually all of his Imperial hits, was seemingly at an end.

Jarvis and Justis changed the Domino sound somewhat, notably by adding the backing of a countrypolitan-style vocal chorus to most of his new recordings. Perhaps as a result of this tinkering with an established formula, Domino's chart career was drastically curtailed. He released 11 singles for ABC-Paramount, but only had one top 40 entry with "Red Sails In The Sunset" (1963). Then, by the end of 1964 the British Invasion had changed the tastes of the record-buying public, and Domino's chart run was over.

Despite the lack of chart success, Domino continued to record steadily until about 1970, leaving ABC-Paramount in mid-1965 and recording for a variety of other labels and reuniting with Dave Bartholomew along the way. He also continued as a popular live act for several decades. He was furthermore acknowledged as an important influence on the music of the 1960s and 1970s by some of the top artists of that era; Paul McCartney reportedly wrote the Beatles song "Lady Madonna" in an emulation of Domino's style. Ironically, Domino did manage to return to the "Hot 100" charts one final time in 1968 -- with a cover of "Lady Madonna".

[edit] Later career (1980s- )

In the 1980s, Domino decided he would no longer leave New Orleans, having a comfortable income from royalties and a dislike for touring, and claiming he could not get any food that he liked anyplace else. His induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and an invitation to perform at the White House failed to persuade Domino to make an exception to this policy.

Fats Domino was persuaded to perform out of town periodically for Dianna Chenevert, agent, founder & president of New Orleans based Omni Attractions, during the 1980s & early 1990s. Most of these engagements were in and around New Orleans, but also included a concert in Texas at West End Market Place in downtown Dallas on October 24, 1986.

On October 12, 1983 USA Today reported that Domino was included in Chenevert's "Southern Stars" promotional poster for the agency (along with historically preserving childhood photographs of other famous living musicians from New Orleans & Louisiana on it). Fats provided a photograph of his first recording session, which was the only one he had left from his childhood. Domino autographed these posters, whose recipients included USA Today's Gannett president Al Newharth, and Peter Morton founder of the Hard Rock Cafe. Times-Picayune columnist Betty Guillaud noted on September 30, 1987 that Domino also provided Chenevert with an autographed pair of his shoes (and signed a black grand piano lid) for the Hard Rock location in New Orleans.

Domino lived in a mansion in a predominantly working-class Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood, where he was a familiar sight in his bright pink Cadillac. He makes yearly appearances at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and other local events. Domino was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him #25 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time."[3]

[edit] Domino and Hurricane Katrina

Graffiti on Domino's home from the time he was rumored dead
Graffiti on Domino's home from the time he was rumored dead
Fats Domino's office, June 2007
Fats Domino's office, June 2007

When Hurricane Katrina was approaching New Orleans in August 2005, Dianna Chenevert encouraged Fats to evacuate, but he chose to stay at home with his family, partly because of his wife's poor health. Unfortunately his house was in an area that was heavily flooded. Chenevert e-mailed writers at the Times Picayune newspaper and the Coast Guard with the Domino's location.

Someone thought Fats was dead, and spray-painted a message on his home, "RIP Fats. You will be missed", which was shown in news photos. On September 1, Domino's agent, Al Embry, announced that he had not heard from the musician since before the hurricane had struck.

Later that day, CNN reported that Domino was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. His daughter, gospel singer Karen Domino White, identified him from a photo shown on CNN. The Domino family was then taken to a Baton Rouge shelter, after which they were picked up by JaMarcus Russell, the starting quarterback of the Louisiana State University football team, and Fats' granddaughter's boyfriend. He let the Dominoes stay in his apartment. The Washington Post reported that on September 2, they had left Russell's apartment after sleeping three nights on the couch. "We've lost everything", Domino said, according to the Post.[4]

By January 2006, work to gut and repair Domino's home and office had begun. For the meantime, the Domino family is residing in Harvey, Louisiana.

Chenevert replaced the Southern Stars poster Fats Domino lost in Katrina and President George W. Bush also made a personal visit and replaced the medal that President Bill Clinton had previously awarded Fats.

[edit] Recent activity

Domino was the first artist to be announced as scheduled to perform at the 2006 Jazz & Heritage Festival.However, he was too ill to perform when scheduled and was only able to offer the audience an on-stage greeting. Domino also released an album Alive and Kickin' in early 2006 to benefit the Tipitina's Foundation, which supports indigent local musicians. The title song was recorded after Katrina, but most of the cuts were from unreleased sessions in the 1990s.

On January 12, 2007, Domino was honored with OffBeat magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Best of the Beat Awards held at House of Blues in New Orleans. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin declared the day "Fats Domino Day in New Orleans" and presented Fats Domino with a signed declaration. OffBeat publisher Jan Ramsey and WWL-TV's Eric Paulsen presented Fats Domino with the Lifetime Achievement Award. An all-star musical tribute followed with an introduction by the legendary producer Cosimo Matassa. The Lil' Band O' Gold rhythm section, Warren Storm, Kenny Bill Stinson, David Egan and C.C. Adcock, not only anchored the band, but each contributed lead vocals, swamp pop legend Warren Storm leading off with "Let the Four Winds Blow" and "The Prisoner Song", which he proudly introduced by saying, "Fats Domino recorded this in 1958.. and so did I." The horn section included Lil' Band O' Gold's Dickie Landry, the Iguanas' Derek Huston, and long-time Domino horn men Roger Lewis, Elliot "Stackman" Callier and Herb Hardesty. They were joined by Jon Cleary (who also played guitar in the rhythm section), Al "Carnival Time" Johnson, Irma Thomas, George Porter, Jr. (who, naturally, came up with a funky arrangement for "You Keep On Knocking"), Art Neville, Dr. John and Allen Toussaint, who wrote and debuted a song in tribute of Domino for the occasion. Though Domino didn't perform, those near him recall him playing air piano and singing along to his own songs.

Fats Domino returned to stage on May 19, 2007, at Tipitina's at New Orleans, performing to a full house. A foundation has been formed and a show is being planned for Domino and the restoration of his home, where he intends to return someday. "I like it down there" he said in a February, 2006 CBS News interview.[5]

In September 2007, Domino was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame.

In December 2007, Fats Domino was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

Statue of Fats Domino in the French Quarter of New Orleans
Statue of Fats Domino in the French Quarter of New Orleans

[edit] Business

His career has been produced and managed since the 1980s by multimedia entertainment purveyor and music producer Robert G. Vernon.

Since 1995, Vernon and Domino have been partners (with many other companies, such as Dick Clark Productions) in the Bobkat Music Trust. Bobkat Music is an entertainment group that manages the careers (some posthumous) of Domino, Randy Pringle (writer), and other artists.

[edit] Trivia

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The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • In 1999, National Public Radio included "Ain't That A Shame" in the NPR 100, in which NPR's music editors sought to compile the 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century.
  • A play on his name is the name of the gospel music group Fetz Domino, which means in mixed German and Latin "Groove for the Lord".
  • '50s blues singer Skinny Dynamo had a brief career.
  • Domino had 66 US Hot 100 chart hits. (James Brown had 99.)
  • Domino has always had strong links to The Beatles, who recorded a version of "When the Saints Go Marching In" in Germany, two years after Fats' version on Imperial Records. When they auditioned for Decca, one of their songs was another standard in Domino's repertory: "The Sheik of Araby".
  • In his song "I Want to Walk You Home", Domino used the words "I want to hold your hand" which may have inspired Lennon and McCartney when writing their song of the same title. In 1968, the Beatles modeled their song, "Lady Madonna", on Fats Domino's style, combining it with a nod to Humphrey Lyttelton's 1956 hit "Bad Penny Blues", a record which Joe Meek had engineered. They also played some hits of the 1950s and early 1960s, including Domino's "Kansas City", during the Get Back album sessions.
  • Domino returned the compliment in 1968 by covering not only "Lady Madonna", but two other Beatles songs, for his Reprise LP Fats Is Back. Since then, both John Lennon and Paul McCartney have recorded Fats Domino songs.
  • I Want to Walk You Home was used in two Public information films by the Irish Department of the Environment, highlighting the dangers of being distracted on roads.
  • Chubby Checker (Ernest Evans) got his stage name as a play on Fats Domino's name.
  • He appeared in a commercial for a brand of plastic food-storage bag. Various people had been shown holding and shaking these bags filled with various food items (including an obviously unhappy kid saying "shake, shake, shake--your spinach!"). At the end, Domino appears, in front of his piano, with such a bag containing blueberries. He sings, "shake, shake, shake your blueberries--on Blueberry Hill!"

[edit] References in popular culture

  • In the popular 1970s sitcom Happy Days, set in the 1950s, lead character Richie Cunningham (played by Ron Howard) would often sing "I found my thrill..." (the first line of Domino's "Blueberry Hill") in reference to pretty girls he dated or wanted to date.
  • The fictional girl band in the television series Rock Follies threatened to revolt if they had to sing "Blueberry Hill" one more time.
  • The American humor magazine Mad ran a cartoon spread that included fictitious artists with similar name variations, such as "Pudgy Parcheesi".

[edit] Singles discography

Nationally charted hits shown in bold. (Virtually all of Domino's singles of the 1950s and 60s charted regionally in the U.S. south, especially in New Orleans.)

A-Side B-Side Year Label + Cat. No. Chart Positions
US Hot 100 US R&B UK
The Fat Man Detroit City Blues 1949 (Imperial 5058) #2
Boogie-Woogie Baby Little Bee 1950 (Imperial 5065)
Hide Away Blues She's My Baby 1950 (Imperial 5077)
Hey La Bas Boogie Brand New Baby 1950 (Imperial 5085)
Every Night about This Time Korea Blues 1950 (Imperial 5099) #5
Tired of Crying What's the Matter Baby 1951 (Imperial 5114)
Don't You Lie to Me Sometimes I Wonder 1951 (Imperial 5123)
Right From Wrong No, No Baby 1951 (Imperial 5138)
Rockin' Chair Careless Love 1951 (Imperial 5145) #9
I'll Be Gone You Know I Miss You 1952 (Imperial 5167)
Goin' Home Reeling and Rocking 1952 (Imperial 5180) #1
Poor Poor Me Trust in Me 1952 (Imperial 5197) #10
How Long Dreaming 1952 Imperial 5209) #9
Nobody Loves Me Cheatin' 1953 (Imperial 5220)
Going to the River Mardi Gras in New Orleans 1953 (Imperial 5231) #2
Please Don't Leave Me The Girl I Love 1953 (Imperial 5240) #3
Rose Mary You Said You Loved Me 1953 (Imperial 5251) #10
Something's Wrong Don't Leave Me This Way 1953 (Imperial 5262) #6
You Done Me Wrong Little School Girl 1954 (Imperial 5272) #10
Where Did You Stay Baby Please 1954 (Imperial 5283)
You Can Pack Your Suitcase I Lived My Life 1954 (Imperial 5301)
Love Me Don't You Hear Me Calling You 1954 (Imperial 5313)
I Know Thinking of You 1954 (Imperial 5323) #14
Don't You Know Helping Hand 1955 (Imperial 5340) #7
Ain't That a Shame La La 1955 (Imperial 5348) #10 #1 #23
All By Myself Troubles of My Own 1955 (Imperial 5357) #1
Poor Me 1955 (Imperial 5369) #1
I Can't Go On 1955 " #6
Bo Weevil 1956 (Imperial 5375) #35 #5
Don't Blame It on Me 1956 " #9
I'm in Love Again 1956 (Imperial 5386) #3 #1 #12
My Blue Heaven 1956 " #19 #5
When My Dreamboat Comes Home 1956 (Imperial 5396) #14 #2
So Long 1956 " #44 #5
Blueberry Hill 1956 (Imperial 5407) #2 #1 #1
Honey Chile 1956 " #2 #29
Blue Monday 1956 (Imperial 5417) #5 #1 #2
What's the Reason I'm Not Pleasing You 1956 " #50 #12
I'm Walkin' I'm in the Mood for Love 1957 (Imperial 5428) #4 #1 #19
The Rooster Song My Happiness//As Time Goes By//Hey La Bas (4 song EP) 1957 (Imperial 147) #13 #8
Valley of Tears 1957 (Imperial 5442) #8 #2 #25
It's You I Love 1957 " #6 #2
What Will I Tell My Heart 1957 (Imperial 5454) #64 #12
When I See You 1957 " #29 #14
Wait and See 1957 (Imperial 5467) #23 #7
I Still Love You 1957 " #79
The Big Beat 1957 (Imperial 5477) #26 #15 #20
I Want You to Know 1957 " #32
Yes My Darling Don't You Know I Love You 1958 (Imperial 5492) #55 #10
Sick and Tired 1958 (Imperial 5515) #22 #14 #26
No, No 1958 " #55 #14
Little Mary Prisoner's Song 1958 (Imperial 5526) #48 #4
Young School Girl It Must Be Love 1958 (Imperial 5537) #92 #15
Whole Lotta Loving 1958 (Imperial 5553) #6 #2 #10
Coquette 1958 " #92 #26
Telling Lies 1959 (Imperial 5569) #50 #13
When the Saints Go Marching In 1959 " #50
I'm Ready 1959 (Imperial 5585) #16 #7
Margie 1959 " #51 #18
I Want to Walk You Home 1959 (Imperial 5606) #8 #1 #14
I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday 1959 " #17 #22
Be My Guest 1959 (Imperial 5629) #8 #2 #11
I've Been Around 1959 " #33 #19
If You Need Me 1960 (Imperial 5645) #98
Country Boy 1960 " #25 #19
Before I Grow Too Old 1960 (Imperial 5660) #84 #17
Tell Me That You Love Me 1960 " #51
Walking to New Orleans 1960 (Imperial 5675) #6 #2 #19
Don't Come Knockin' 1960 " #21 #28
Three Nights a Week 1960 (Imperial 5687) #15 #8 #45
Put Your Arms Around Me Honey 1960 " #58
My Girl Josephine 1960 (Imperial 5704) #14 #7 #32
Natural Born Lover 1960 " #38 #28
Ain't That Just Like a Woman 1961 (Imperial 5723) #33 #19
What a Price 1961 " #22 #7
Shu Rah 1961 (Imperial 5734) #32
Fell in Love on Monday 1961 " #32
It Keeps Rainin' I Just Cry 1961 (Imperial 5753) #23 #18 #49
Let The Four Winds Blow Good Hearted Man 1961 (Imperial 5764) #15 #2
What A Party 1961 (Imperial 5779) #22 #43
Rockin' Bicycle 1961 " #83
I Hear You Knocking 1961 (Imperial 5796) #67
Jambalaya (On the Bayou) 1961 " #30 #41
You Win Again 1962 (Imperial 5816) #22
Ida Jane 1962 " #90
My Real Name My Heart Is Bleeding 1962 (Imperial 5833) #59 #22
Dance with Mr. Domino 1962 (Imperial 5863) #98
Nothing New (Same Old Thing) 1962 " #77
Did You Ever See a Dream Walking 1962 (Imperial 5875) #79
Stop the Clock 1962 " #103
Won't You Come on Back Hands Across the Table 1962 (Imperial 5895)
Hum Diddy Doo Those Eyes 1963 (Imperial 5909) #124
You Always Hurt the One You Love Trouble Blues 1963 (Imperial 5937) #102
True Confession Isle of Capri 1963 (Imperial 5959)
One Night I Can't Go on This Way 1963 (Imperial 5980)
There Goes (My Heart Again) 1963 (ABC 10444) #59
Can't Go on Without You 1963 " #123
When I'm Walking (Let Me Walk) 1963 (ABC 10475) #114
I've Got a Right to Cry 1963 " #128
Red Sails in the Sunset Song For Rosemary 1963 (ABC 10484) #35 #24 #34
I Can't Give You Anything But Love Goin' Home 1963 (Imperial 66005) #114
Who Cares 1963 (ABC 10512) #63 #27
Just a Lonely Man 1963 " #108
Your Cheatin' Heart When I Was Young 1964 (Imperial 66016) #112
Lazy Lady 1964 (ABC 10531) #86 #34
I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire 1964 " #122
If You Don't Know What Love Is Something You Got Baby 1964 (ABC 10545)
Mary, Oh Mary Packin' Up 1964 (ABC 10567) #127
Sally Was a Good Old Girl For You 1964 (ABC 10584) #99
Kansas City Heartbreak Hill 1964 (ABC 10596) #99
Why Don't You Do Right Wigs 1965 (ABC 10631)
Let Me Call You Sweetheart Goodnight Sweetheart 1965 (ABC 10644)
I Done Got Over It I Left My Heart In San Francisco 1965 (Mercury 72463)
What's That You Got? It's Never Too Late 1965 (Mercury 72485)
The Lady in Black Working My Way Up Steady 1967 (Broadmoor 104)
Big Mouth Wait 'Til It Happens to You 1967 (Broadmoor 105)
One For The Highway Honest Papas Love Their Mamas Better 1968 (Reprise 0696)
Lady Madonna One for the Highway 1968 (Reprise 0763) #100
Lovely Rita Wait 'Till It Happens to You 1968 (Reprise 0775)
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey So Swell When You're Well 1969 (Reprise 0843)
Make Me Belong to You Have You Seen My Baby 1970 (Reprise 0891)
New Orleans Ain't the Same Sweet Patootie 1970 (Reprise 0944)
Sleeping on the Job After Hours 1978 (Sonet 2168 -UK)
Whiskey Heaven -- 1980 (Warner Bros. Records 49610)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Shake, Rattle & Rock!. IMDB. Retrieved on 2006-11-01.
  2. ^ The Girl Can't Help It. IMDB. Retrieved on 2006-11-01.
  3. ^ The Immortals: The First Fifty. Rolling Stone Issue 946. Rolling Stone.
  4. ^ Saslow, Eli (September 2 2005). Music Legend 'Fats' Domino Coping With Katrina. washingtonpost.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-01.
  5. ^ Fats Domino 'Alive And Kicking'. cbsnews.com (February 25 2006). Retrieved on 2007-09-26.
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[edit] Further reading

  • Blue Monday: Fats Domino and the Lost Dawn of Rock 'N' Roll by Rick Coleman, Da Capo, 2006. 10-ISBN 0-306-81491-9

[edit] External links

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