Obituary: Fats Domino was ‘the real King of rock’n’roll’

While Elvis Presley was perhaps rock’n’roll’s first superstar, he always acknowledged a debt to artists who came before him. One of his idols was the late Fats Domino, an artist of whom Presley once said “that’s the real King of rock’n’roll”

US pianist and signer-songwriter Fats Domino performing at the Palais des Sports in Paris in 1962. Picture: AFP

While Elvis Presley was perhaps rock’n’roll’s first superstar, he always acknowledged a debt to artists who came before him. One of his idols was Fats Domino, an artist of whom he once said “that’s the real King of rock’n’roll.”

Before Elvis came along Domino was one of the biggest-selling rock’n’roll artists and in terms of records sold in the ’50s, remained second only to Elvis.

Domino, who died this week, was performing rhythm and blues numbers all but indistinguishable from the style later known as rock’n’roll as early as 1949 when he recorded his song The Fat Man.

Short in stature, wide in girth, with a flat-top hairdo and a wining smile, he easily charmed audiences. With his distinctive rolling piano trills and joyful baritone blues voice, Domino inspired generations of rockers and delighted millions of fans.

A young Fats Domino in a 1956 publicity photo.

Born Antoine Domino in New Orleans on February 26, 1928, he was the son of a farmer working on a plantation. As a child Domino liked to pick out tunes on the family piano, but it was when his sister married a guitarist, Harrison Verrett, that he got his first lessons in music.

He became an accomplished pianist, playing the blues and jazz styles that were popular in New Orleans at the time. At 14 he quit school, got a factory job and in his spare time played piano at clubs around the city.

While pounding the keys at a nightclub in 1947 he became friends with bandleader Billy Diamond, who invited him to play in his band at the Hideaway Club. Diamond thought the chubby pianist was like a new version of jazz pianist Fats Waller and gave him the nickname Fats. It stuck and soon people were coming to the club just to hear his nimble piano playing.

He won the heart of one fan, Rosemary Hall, who he married in 1948. They had eight children and were together until Rosemary’s death in 2008.

fats Domino at the piano at the Palais des Sports in Paris in 1962.

One night in 1949 Domino was playing what was then his signature tune, Swanee River Boogie, at the Hideaway when musician, composer and A&R man from Imperial Records, Dave Bartholomew, brought his boss Lew Chudd in to listen. Chudd signed Domino to a contract on the spot.

His first single The Fat Man was a reworking of the standard Junker’s Blues, with lyrics by Bartholomew and Domino. It was a big hit on the R&B (rhythm and blues) charts. Because it shares many features with rock’n’roll (even a vocal version of a guitar solo by Domino) it is considered by many to be a direct precursor of rock if not actually one of the first rock hits.

Several more hits followed, including Don’t You Lie To Me and Reelin’ And Rockin’ but Domino’s initial success was among African-American audiences until his 1955 song Ain’t That A Shame (also written with Bartholomew), which went to No.1 on the R&B charts and No.10 on the Billboard charts. Suddenly he was no longer an R&B artist, he was a rock’n’roll star.

Fats Domino on a visit to Sydney in 1973. Picture: News Archives.

He was in huge demand, playing to white audiences and appearing in rock exploitation films Shake, Rattle And Rock! and The Girl Can’t Help It. In 1956 he had his biggest hit with Blueberry Hill, a cover of a 1940 song originally sung by Gene Autry, which reached No.2 on the Billboard chart and sold five million copies worldwide, putting him a par with Elvis.

While that marked the zenith of his success in terms of sales, he remained a big-selling recording artist and toured the world.

Domino inspired not just Elvis but also other performers. Ernest “Chubby” Evans took on the name Checker (another kind of game piece) as a result of a Domino impersonation he once did.

Fats Domino performing on the piano during a concert at the Auditorium Stravinski during the 27th Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland, in 1993. Picture: AFP

On a 1962 tour of the UK when Domino met The Beatles, John Lennon told him the first song he learnt to play was Ain’t That A Shame. Paul McCartney was inspired by Domino’s song Blue Monday about the woes of a working man, to write Lady Madonna about the woes of a hard-working mother. Domino later did a cover version.

He recorded almost an album a year up until 1980 and was inducted into the Rock’n’roll Hall of Fame in 1986. During Hurricane Katrina in 2005 he remained in his home in New Orleans and a rumour went around that he had died, but he was later found safe and well.

He performed live until 2007 when both age and illness slowed him down. He died of natural causes on October 24.

Originally published as Obituary: Fats Domino was ‘the real King of rock’n’roll’