From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Tue Feb 26, 2002  1:17 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Fats Domino

FATS DOMINO

Born Antoine Domino, 26 February 1928, New Orleans, Louisiana

Singer / pianist.
The most popular exponent of the classic New Orleans R&B sound, Fats
Domino sold more records than any other black rock & roll star of the 1950s.
His relaxed approach to his music, along with his boogie-woogie piano style
and easygoing, warm vocals delivered a long series of national hits from the
mid-'50s to the early '60s.
Born into a large family, Domino learned piano from local musician Harrison
Verrett who was also his brother-in-law. A factory worker after leaving
school, Domino played in local clubs such as the Hideaway. It was there in
1949 that bandleader Dave Bartholomew and Lew Chudd of Imperial Records
heard him. His first recording, 'The Fat Man', was a # 2 R&B hit the next
year (by 1953 it had become the first of his 21 million sellers) and
launched his unique partnership with Bartholomew who co-wrote, arranged
and produced dozens of Domino tracks over the next two decades.
(Incidentally, this single is yet another often cited as the first rock and
roll record - as far as Fats was concerned, he was just playing what
he'd already been doing in New Orleans for years, and would continue
to play and sing in pretty much the same fashion even after his music
was dubbed rock & roll).
Domino's playing was derived from the rich mixture of musical styles to be
found in New Orleans. These included traditional jazz, Latin rhythms, boogie
woogie, Cajun and blues. On occasion his relaxed approach was at odds
with the urgency of other R&B and rock artists and the Imperial engineers
would frequently speed up the tapes before Domino's singles were released,
but this is the very style which ended up making Domino's records some of
the more enduring from the era. During the early 50s, Domino gradually
became one of the most successful R&B artists in America. Songs such as
'Goin' Home' (# 1), 'Going To The River' and 'Please Don't Leave Me' were
R&B best sellers and he also toured throughout the country. The touring
group included the nucleus of the band assembled by Dave Bartholomew
for recordings at Cosimo Matassa's studio. Among the musicians were Lee
Allen (saxophone), Frank Fields (bass) and Walter 'Papoose' Nelson (guitar).
By 1955, rock 'n' roll had arrived and young white audiences were ready for
Domino's music. His first pop success (# 10) came with 'Ain't That A Shame'
in 1955 (forever tarnished through the Pat Boone cover). 'Bo Weevil' was
also covered, by Teresa Brewer, but the catchy 'I'm In Love Again', with its
incisive saxophone phrases from Allen, took Domino into the pop Top 3. The
flip side was an up-tempo treatment of the 20s standard, 'My Blue Heaven'
and this side also became one of the staples of Domino's live act throughout
his career. Domino's next big success also came with a pre-rock 'n' roll
song, 'Blueberry Hill' (# 2, his biggest pop hit). Inspired by the Louis
Armstrong 1949 version, Domino used his creole drawl to perfection.
His performances were included in four films: "The Girl Can't Help It",
"Shake, Rattle and Roll", "Jamboree" and "The Big Beat", 1956-58.
Altogether, Fats Domino had 66 chart entries in the Billboard Top 100
between 1955 and 1968. His track record in the Billboard R&B lists
is equally impressive, with 63 records reaching the charts, nine of which
topped the lists. He continued to record heavily for Imperial until 1963,
maintaining a consistently high level of performance. There were original
compositions such as the jumping 'My Girl Josephine' and 'Let the Four
Winds Blow' and cover versions of country songs ( Hank Williams'
'Jambalaya') as well as standard ballads such as 'Margie'.
The complex off-beat of 'Be My Guest' was a clear precursor of the ska
rhythms of Jamaica, where Domino was popular and toured in 1961.
By 1963, Lew Chudd had sold the Imperial company and Domino switched labels
to ABC Paramount. There he recorded several albums with producers Felton
Jarvis and Bill Justis, but his continuing importance lay in his tours of
North America and Europe, which recreated the sound of the 50s for new
generations of listeners. The quality of Domino's touring band was well
captured on a 1965 live album for Mercury from Las Vegas with Roy Montrell
(guitar), Cornelius Coleman (drums) and the saxophones of Herb Hardesty and
Lee Allen. He was an active performer in the ensuing decades, but his career
as an important artist was essentially over in the mid-'60s, although he did
make further albums for Reprise (1968) and Sonet (1978).
Official recognition of Domino's contribution to popular music came in the
late 80s. In 1986 he was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame,
and won Hall Of Fame and Lifetime Achievement awards at the 1987
Grammy's. "People don't know what they've done for me", he reflected.
They always tell me, 'Oh Fats, thanks for so many years of good music'.
And I'll be thankin' them before they're finished thankin' me!" He is
undoubtedly a giant figure of R&B, both musically and physically.
63 chart singles, 65 million record sales - now that's not bad is it?

"Out Of New Orleans", a massive eight disc boxed anthology from Bear
Family, contains every Fats Imperial recording from 1949 - 62 and is
definitely the one to get if you can afford it. Even over eight discs you
never tire of the infectious and charming New Orleans R&B - not ground
breaking or particularly radical perhaps, but superbly entertaining.
You could also try the slightly less comprehensive four CD Box Set
"They Call Me The Fat Man", released as part of EMI's Legends
of the 20th Century series.
Recommended website: http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/costello/472/

Fats Domino is the only major rock 'n' roll star who has not yet been
the subject of a book-length biography. Rick Coleman started working
on one, but gave it up. Allegedly, Stuart Colman is giving it a try at this
time of writing.