#Fats domino professional
#Fats domino series

He claimed that he was stuck with them until they were sold out. Wherever he’d go, his mind was on music, and whatever he would hear, he would simply write it down or remember it well.Īfter gaining a lot of success through Imperial Records doing 37 different top 40 hits, Fats Domino left it in 1963. He said: “Something that happened to someone, that’s how I write all my songs”. This didn’t let him down, he continued to tour and record.Īccording to Domino, he was the guy who took songwriting’s inspiration from everyday events. But unfortunately, his string of hits dried up by the early 60s. He was one of the very prolific recording artists of the 50s, aside from Elvis Presley. His notably up-tempo cover of “Blueberry Hill” that ranked #2 in the Top 40 in 1956 became one of Fats’ multi-million bestsellers.įats eventually raked in 37 Top 40 singles, and to date has sold a hundred-odd million records.

He continued recording hits like “I’m Walkin’”, “It’s You I Love”, and “Whole Lotta Loving”. Eventually, this song also happened to be the first song that John Lennon learned to play on his guitar.įats Domino also appeared in the film “The Girl Can’t Help It” in 1956. Later, he re-recorded the song with the revised name, which still remains a popular version today. This track didn’t just increase Domino’s visibility but also boosted the record sales. The same song was covered by Pat Boone as “Ain’t it A Shame” and it peaked at #1 on the pop charts while Fats’ original reached #10. In 1955, his breakthrough single, “Ain’t That A Shame”, transformed Fats as a mainstream pop star. This pattern was complimented with simple saxophone riffs and afterbeats.Īll of this accompanied with Fats’ sweet and gentle singing voice, delivered in a little baritone range with the addition of a slight New Orleans accent, made him one of the most unique and distinctive rock-and-roll artists. His piano playing style was quite unique it consisted of only modest rhythmic figures, basically only triad chords over a boogie pattern that was his favorite from the beginning. His “wah-wah” vocalization is the most distinctive characteristic of the song, which would become his trademark. The song was co-written with Bartholomew and the title of the song was based on his nickname.

#Fats domino series

Fortunately, Domino’s first ever recording “The Fat Man” became first of the series of R&Bs hits in 1950 that successfully sold over one million copies and peaked at #2 on the R&B Charts.

#Fats domino professional

He went on to the next professional foray of his music career by signing up with the Imperial Records in 1949.

He was the person who brought New Orleans J&M studio to fame and became Fats’ exclusive manager. There, Fats was lucky enough to be discovered by the bandleader, songwriter, and the record producer Dave Bartholomew. Later in 1949 after getting more trained, he began performing in clubs. He was the one who gave Domino the nickname “Fats”. In 1946, Domino entered the music industry by playing piano for a renowned New Orleans Bass player and bandleader Billy Diamond. He was inspired by both boogie-woogie pianists and singers of his era like Meade Lux and Louis Jordan.Īlthough he was a shy person, his musical talents began to emerge and to take notice. In the beginning, he took odd jobs like working in a factory and hauling ice to make both ends meet.

Due to Domino’s passion for music, he dropped out of high school at 14 to peruse his career in music. It is no surprise that he was interested to learn music at an early age. And by the age of 10, this talented young folk was already performing as a pianist and a singer. His brother-in-law, Harrison Verret, a jazz guitarist, started training him when he was only 7. He was a genuine Rhythm-and-Blues star who helped in defining the New Orleans sound.īeing surrounded by a family of music enthusiasts, he was always motivated and persuaded to learn music when he was just a kid. Being one of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Fats sold over 65 million records. Before learning English, he spoke Creole French. He belonged to a musical family and was the youngest of his eight siblings. aka Fats Domino was an American pianist and singer-copywriter born on February 26, 1928, in New Orleans, Louisiana, which has been known as a music haven (and particularly the birthplace of jazz).