 Fats Domino's smooth and bluesy piano rhythms helped bring acclaim to the New Orleans music scene and usher in the rock 'n' roll era. With hits like "Ain't It A Shame," "Blueberry Hill," and "Whole Lotta Lovin'," Domino spent much of the period from 1950-63 at the top of the R&B charts. His irrepressible smile and smooth style made Domino the perfect counterpart to the radical electricity of Little Richard. Scoring cross-over hits in the mid-50s with his mildly salty lyrics, Domino became a major pop star, unwittingly assisting the career of Pat Boone, who "covered" many songs by black artists in the '50s. Born in New Orleans on February 26, 1928, Antoine Domino began playing piano as a child and by the time he was a teen was tickling the ivories in New Orleans clubs and bars. It was there that writer, producer and arranger David Bartholomew discovered him in 1948. Bartholomew helped secure a recording contract with Imperial Records and the next year they released "The Fat Man." With Bartholomew serving as bandleader - Red Tyler on sax and Earl Palmer on drums - they established the Domino sound and scored a big hit in '49-'50.
|
