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Rock 'n' Roll legend Fats Domino dies aged 89

Updated / Thursday, 26 Oct 2017 06:59
Fats Domino
Fats Domino

Fats Domino, one of the original and most influential rock and roll performers of the 1950s and '60s, has died at the age of 89.

The New Orleans singer, songwriter and pianist was best known for his huge hit songs Ain't That A Shame and Blueberry Hill.

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Domino - whose first name was Antoine - sold more than 65 million records, outselling every 1950s rock and roll act except Elvis Presley.

His million-selling debut single for Imperial Records, The Fat Man, is credited by some as the first ever rock and roll record. It was released in 1949 and sold over a million copies.

Fats Domino at the ruins of his publishing office after Hurricane Katrina

Fats Domino was also one of the first rhythm and blues artists to gain popularity with a white audience and has been credited as a key influence on artists during the 1960s and '70s.

Domino crossed into the pop mainstream with 1955's Ain't That a Shame, which reached the Top Ten.

His 1956 recording of Blueberry Hill, which had previously been recorded by many others, reached number two in the Top 40 and was number one on the R&B chart for 11 weeks. It was his biggest hit, selling more than five million copies worldwide in 1956 and 1957.

Domino eventually had 37 Top 40 singles.

Fats Domino in the ruins of his publishing office after Hurricane Katrina

In 1986 he was among the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but by his later life Domino would no longer leave New Orleans, even to accept the Hall of Fame award.

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in August 2005, Domino chose to stay at home with his family, partly because his wife, Rosemary, was in poor health. His house was in an area that was heavily flooded.

Feared dead, he and his family were eventually rescued. "We've lost everything," Domino admitted.

Fats Domino with US President George W Bush

Then-US President George W Bush made a personal visit and replaced the National Medal of Arts that President Bill Clinton had previously awarded Domino, but which was lost during the hurricane.

His gold records were replaced by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America and Capitol Records, which owned the Imperial Records catalogue.

And here's Blueberry Hill:

Fans have been paying tribute:

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