In New Orleans, Fats Domino's piano doesn't sound like an ordinary instrument. It moves with the heavy, springy rhythm of boogie-woogie, carries the blues, jazz and marches of the city, and behind it stands a calm voice that doesn't need theatrical gestures. Thus, Antoine Domino Jr. becomes one of the people who gave a face and sound to early rock and roll.
Domino was born on February 26, 1928 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He began playing the piano as a child, and in his teens he joined local bands. The leader of one of them, Billy Diamond, gave him the nickname "Fats" - a name that gradually became better known than Antoine.
„The Fat Man“ sets the stage
In 1949, Domino recorded his first big hit - „The Fat Man“, created together with producer and trumpeter Dave Bartholomew. The song was recorded in Cosimo Matassa's small studio in the French Quarter of New Orleans. It combines a blues melody, fast piano and a rhythm that already suggests the direction of the new music.
„The Fat Man“ became one of the early million-selling hits of rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Domino and Bartholomew continued to work together and created a series of songs in which the local sound was not hidden, but turned into a main advantage.
From „Isn't This a Shame“ to „Borovinkov Hill“
In 1955, „Isn't This a Shame“ made Domino a star even outside the rhythm and blues scene. A year later came „Borovinkov Hill“ - a song written back in the 1940s, but turned by him into a worldwide hit. His version reached an audience that had rarely heard a piano played with such softness and at the same time with such a strong rhythm.
Followed by “I'm Going to New Orleans“, “Blue Monday“, “I'm Going“ and “So Much Love“. His melodies are easy to remember, but behind the apparent simplicity lies precise work with rhythm. This is what makes Domino an important reference point for subsequent generations of musicians. John Lennon cited “Ain't That a Shame“ as one of the songs he learned to play, and “The Beatles“ pay tribute to his style in “Lady Madonna“.
A star who stays at home
In 1986, Fats Domino was among the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1998, he received the National Medal of Arts. Four of his recordings have also been inducted into the “Grammy“ Hall of Fame – “Blueberry Hill“, “Ain't That a Shame“, “I'm Going to New Orleans“ and “The Fat Man“.
Despite his worldwide fame, Domino remains associated with New Orleans. Hurricane “Katrina“ in 2005 destroyed his home in the Lower Ninth Ward. He and his family were rescued, but the storm destroyed three pianos and numerous gold and platinum records. Domino continued to live in the area after it was rebuilt.
His friend David Lind described him as “warm, funny, spiritual, creative and humble“. He then added: “Fats embodied everything that was good about New Orleans.“ On October 24, 2017, Domino died of natural causes at the age of 89. He left behind not only his records, but also a sound that still identifies the city on the Mississippi River today.
Sources: theguardian.com, ksl.com, latimes.com