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Fats
Domino
"Antoine Domino"
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Antoine "Fats"
Domino
New Orleans Ninth Ward Residence |
"A New Orleans Legend"
Fats was born Antoine Domino
in 1928 in New Orleans. As a child his brother-in-law, who was
twenty years his senior, taught him to play the piano.Fats,
also sang.. The first language he learned to speak was French.
He first performed in public at age 10. At fourteen he left
school and worked days in a factory so he could perform at local
nightclubs. He continued with music into the 40's and was heard
by Dave Bartholomew, who would become his writing partner on
many of Fats' hit songs. Fats joined the Dave Bartholomew Band
in the mid-40's. He was influenced by Albert Ammons and Fats
Waller, among others.
Fats Domino exploded onto the
rock-and-roll scene in 1955 when his song, "Ain't That
A Shame," was covered by white recording artist Pat Boone.
Boone's version went to number one, and Domino's version on
Imperial went to number ten. The song established both artists
as stars. Fats could be heard in the background on the records
of other artists, such as Joe Turner and Lloyd Price.
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He continued to write songs with
Dave Bartholomew, many of which became hits. In 1956 he put
five songs in the top forty, including "I'm In Love Again"
and Fats' rendition of a song that had reached number one
for Glenn Miller in 1940, "Blueberry Hill". The
latter went to number two and was Domino's highest charting
record ever.
Fats Domino had his final top ten song in 1960 with Walking
To New Orleans. He recorded some old Hank Williams songs such
as "Jambalaya [On The Bayou]" and "You Win
Again" and he did old standards such as "Red Sails
In The Sunset," which was his final top forty song, in
1963. In 1968, he even did a cover of the Beatles' "Lady
Madonna".
He also made some more films
along the way, including Shake, Rattle and Roll, The Big Beat,
and Jamboree. Fats played Las Vegas frequently, and at the
Royal Festival Hall in London in the 80's. He had to leave
a tour of Great Britain in the 90's due to health problems.
Fats Domino still lives in New
Orleans with his wife Rosemary, with whom he has had eight
children. His awards have been many, including Grammy's Lifetime
Achievement and Hall Of Fame Awards.
Fats Domino
took his place in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 1986.
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