The Boogie-Woogie King: Fats Domino's Rock and Roll Odyssey
Apr 13, 2024
Harriet
Embark on a soul-stirring stroll down memory lane as we honor the pioneering spirit of rock and roll's own Fats Domino, whose artistry left an indelible mark on music and culture. With a life story that began amidst the vibrant rhythms of a Creole-speaking New Orleans home, Fats Domino ascended to stardom, his fingers dancing over piano keys to produce hits that would shape the sound of the '50s and beyond. In this episode, we revel in the triumphs and trials of his journey, from the chart-climbing success of "The Fat Man" to his soulful rendition of "Blueberry Hill," and how his legacy resonated with legends like John Lennon. Yet, our tale doesn't shy away from the darker notes of his era, as we reflect on the societal struggles Fats Domino faced as an African American artist in the segregated South.
As the frosty Midwest winds howl outside, I invite you to cozy up and connect with our celebration of music's transformative power. Your input fuels our exploration of musical icons, so swing by www.morewineandmusic.com to share your thoughts, discover past episodes brimming with blues and jazz stories, or simply to indulge in the rich tapestry of audio history we've woven together. Let's keep the conversation going, and ensure that future episodes resonate with the harmony of your interests, all while paying homage to the legends who've scored the soundtrack of our lives. Keep warm, keep listening, and let the music play on.
Embark on a soul-stirring stroll down memory lane as we honor the pioneering spirit of rock and roll's own Fats Domino, whose artistry left an indelible mark on music and culture. With a life story that began amidst the vibrant rhythms of a Creole-speaking New Orleans home, Fats Domino ascended to stardom, his fingers dancing over piano keys to produce hits that would shape the sound of the '50s and beyond. In this episode, we revel in the triumphs and trials of his journey, from the chart-climbing success of "The Fat Man" to his soulful rendition of "Blueberry Hill," and how his legacy resonated with legends like John Lennon. Yet, our tale doesn't shy away from the darker notes of his era, as we reflect on the societal struggles Fats Domino faced as an African American artist in the segregated South.
As the frosty Midwest winds howl outside, I invite you to cozy up and connect with our celebration of music's transformative power. Your input fuels our exploration of musical icons, so swing by www.morewineandmusic.com to share your thoughts, discover past episodes brimming with blues and jazz stories, or simply to indulge in the rich tapestry of audio history we've woven together. Let's keep the conversation going, and ensure that future episodes resonate with the harmony of your interests, all while paying homage to the legends who've scored the soundtrack of our lives. Keep warm, keep listening, and let the music play on.
Welcome, welcome, welcome to the More Wine and Music podcast, the podcast where you discuss music genre over a glass of wine. I want to welcome you to season number three and we are discussing in the series of the early rock and roll era. If you have not done so, hit that like, hit that share, hit that subscribe button on any podcast forums that you listen to. Also, you can go to wwwmorewineandmusiccom to listen to past music genre that I have recorded from seasons one and two. All right, we're going. Episode number 26. I decided to start my episode in the early rock and roll era to talk about Fats Domino. Everybody knows Fats Domino and the song Blueberry Hill, and Ain't that a Shame, blueberry Hill, and Ain't that a Shame? But who was he as a person? Besides being a singer and a pianist, fats Domino was an American rhythm and blues artist who innovated music, helped lay the foundation for the rock and roll era of the 1950s the 1950s. He was born Antoine Fats Domino Jr on February 26, 1928 in New Orleans, louisiana. He was born at home by his grandmother, who was also a midwife. His father's name was and please forgive me if I hatch the name, not intentional His father's name was, I guess Caliste, caliste Domino, who was born in 1879 and died in 1964. And died in 1964. And his mother's name was Maria Donatil Gross, and she was born in 1886 and died in 1971.
Speaker 1:
Fats was born into a family of eight children and I found this was interesting. His second language was actually English. The household pretty much spoke Creole French, so he was a Louisianian Creole through and through his blood, so he was actually speaking French before he even spoke English French before he even spoke English. By the age of seven, his brother-in-law, whose name was Harrison Verrett, taught him to play the piano and introduced him to the vibrant sounds of New Orleans. And by the age of 10, little Fats Domino was the talented boy already performing as a singer and pianist. At age 14, he decided to drop out of school to pursue his musical dreams by taking on odd jobs like working in the factory and hauling ice to make ends meet. He was inspired by the likes of boogie-woogie piano players like Mead Lou Lewis and singers like Louis Jordan.
Speaker 1:
In 1946, domino started playing piano for a well-known New Orleans bass band and the band leader was Billy Diamond, who gave the name Fats to Fats Domino. So this is where he received his name of Fats. So here on out I will be referring to him as Fats, to Fats Domino. So this is where he received his name of Fats, so here on out I will be referring to him as Fats. Billy Diamond. He recognized the rare musical talent and quickly made him a sensation and by 1949, he was drawing crowds on his own. In 1947, fats met and married his wife of 60 years. Her name was Rosemary Hall, and together they also had eight children. So I guess the lucky number for the Domino family was eight, and the names are Antoine III and Atole I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly Andre Antonio, antoinette, andrea, enola and Adonica, enola and Adonica. So all the children's names start with A's after their father, antoine.
Speaker 1:
In 1949, domino met collaborator Dave Bartholomew and signed to Imperial Records where he would stay there and record records until 1963. Domino's first release was the Fat man, which was in 1949, and that was based on his nickname and he also co-written with Bartholomew. It became the first rock and roll record to sell 1 million copies, peaking at number two on the R&B charts. The two collaborators continue to churn out R&B hits and top 100 records for years, with Domino's distinctive style of playing the piano and accompanied by the sounds of the saxophone and the drum, afterbeats in his mellow baritone voice, making him stand out in the sea of the 1950s R&B singers.
Speaker 1:
Domino found mainstream success in 1955, though, with the song Ain't it A Shame? That was covered by Pat Boone as, but Domino decided to rename it Ain't that A Shame? His version topped the charts, while Pat Boone version at first top was number one and fat's version became number 10. That his version actually increased Fats' visibility in record sales, and he soon re-recorded it under the revised name, which remains the popular title version today. By the way, it also happened to be the first song John Lennon learned to play on the guitar. Little side note happened to be the first song John Lennon learned to play on the guitar, little side note.
Speaker 1:
In 1956, domino had five top 40 hits, including quote, my Blue Heaven and his cover of Glenn Miller's Blueberry Hill, which we all know. Every time I hear that song, blueberry Hill, it just reminds me of this old show, happy Days, because they used to sing that song a lot. So every time I hear that song, blueberry Hill, it just takes me back to the episodes of Happy Days. Blueberry Hill hit the number two on the pop charts and Domino's top charting record ever. He cemented his popularity with appearances in two 1956 films shake, rattle and roll and the girl can't help it, and his big hit, the big beat, was featured on dick clark's television show american bandstand in back in 1957.
Speaker 1:
Despite his enormous popularity with both white and black fans, it still was segregated and so often while touring around the country, particularly in the 50s, domino and his band were often denied lodging and had to utilize segregated facilities. Denied lodging and had to utilize segregated facilities At times. Sometimes they would have to actually drive miles and miles away from the venue where they were to be played because they were not allowed to either, you know, lodge there or even eat there because of them being black, which is, you know, I can go on a rant on that. They're good enough to entertain and be popular in a way that they're entertainers, but they're not good enough to eat in certain restaurants or sleep in certain hotels, but anyway, certain restaurants or sleep in certain hotels, but anyway. Domino still continued to ride high on its success through the end of the decade, which is meaning the 50s, and churning out more hits like Whole Lotta Lovin', which was in 1958, and I'm Ready in 1959, and I Want to Walk you Home in 1959. Also.
Speaker 1:
When asked about his songwriting process and has taken inspiration from everyday events, fat Stomino would often say that sometimes something would happen to someone, and that's how I write all my songs. I used to listen to people talk about everything every day and things that would happen in real life. I used to go around different places hearing people talk. Sometimes I wasn't expecting to hear nothing and my mind was very much on my music. Next thing I hear I would either write it down or remember it. Good Unquote. Domino believed the success of this music came from the rhythm. You got to keep a good beat. The rhythm was played. We play is from Dixie and that's from you know. That's that New Orleans style, of course. That's that New Orleans style, of course.
Speaker 1:
After recording an impressive 37 different top 40 hits for the label of Imperial, fats decided to leave the record label in 1963, claiming that I stuck with him until they sold out. And he decided to join ABC Paramount Records, this time without his longtime sidekick, dave Bartholomew, whether you know. And this is coming into the end of the 50s and into the 60s, so his style of music wasn't was kind of getting played out in terms of popularity and, whether due to change in sound or because of changing popular taste, domino found his music less commercially popular than before. And again, like I said, the 60s came on a whole new genre of music and that early bubblegum pop style music of the 50s was just, you know, it was just fading out and by that time American pop music were revolutionized by the 1954 British invasion, which we all know were the Beatles. Domino's reign at the top of the chart has reached an end. He didn't stay at ABC Paramount very long. He left in 1965 and returned to New Orleans to collaborate once again with his old sidekick, dave Bartholomew. The pair recorded steadily until 1970 but only charted with only one more single, which was Lady Madonna, a cover of a Beatles song that, ironically, had been inspired by Domino's own musical style. Still, domino's songs and New Orleans sound would continue to influence a generation of rock and rollers as well as the growing music genre in Jamaica.
Speaker 1:
Domino continued to tour for the next two decades, but after an early health scare and while experiencing during the road to perform his life back in his hometown with his wife and his eight children and basically live off the royalties that he collected over the years, at his heyday in the 50s. He's known to be a quiet, private man, and I can't. I can understand that I've never in my life or heard anything, unless I'm wrong. I mean maybe because I'm, you know, from what I remembered and I'm not saying I wasn't born in the fifties or anything but I've never heard anything over the years of anything scandalous or bad or you know, about Fats Domino. I just never heard. Matter of fact, I didn't hear it. You rarely hear anything of him. I really didn't know that he was still touring up until 95. So but he pretty much, you know he's stayed with his wife. There was no scandals there. He lived for 60, you know they were together for 60 years, which is a rarity in the entertainment business. And you know he, to me he's one of those few music entertainers or entertainers period that left a legacy and left a you know mark unscathed. He would occasionally, though, perform at local concerts and at the famed New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival from time to time, but he pretty much stayed out of the limelight. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, but he refused to attend the ceremony. Likewise, he turned down an invitation to perform at the White House, though he accepted the National Medal of Arts from President Clinton in 1998.
Speaker 1:
Despite being urged to leave New Orleans and this was during the time of 2005 and of Hurricane Katrina Domino he preferred to stay home with his wife, ros rosemary, who was in poor health at the time when the hurricane hit. Domino's lower ninth ward home was badly flooded and the legendary musician virtually lost everything. Many people feared that he was dead, but the Coast Guard did come and rescued him and his family on September 1st, if I'm not mistaken the hurricane. It was around like August 29th. Maybe I may be wrong on that, but he was rescued on September 1st and Domino quickly put the rumor of his demise to rest, releasing the album Alive and Kickin' in 2006. A portion of the record sales went to New Orleans Dipatina's Foundation, which helps local musicians in need. Katrina had also devastated Fats personally. To raise money for repairs to his home, friends and rock stars alike recorded a charity tribute album Going Home, a tribute to Fats Domino. The likes of Paul McCartney, robert Plant and Elton John lent their support to the early rock pioneer.
Speaker 1:
After Katrina, domino made a few public appearances around his home city of New Orleans. Footage from a 2007 concert was captured for a documentary Fats Domino Walking Back to New Orleans which aired the following year. A Greatest Hits album was also released around that time, allowing a whole new generation to fall for Fats Domino all over again. After that, again, he pretty much stayed out of the limelight. His beloved wife, rosemary, died in 2008. The following year, he attended a benefit concert to watch such other other music legends like Little Richard and BB King perform, but stayed off the stage.
Speaker 1:
In October 24th of 2017, the rock and roll legend died of natural causes. He was 89 years old. He will always be remembered as one of the rock's earliest and most enduring stars who helped break down color barriers in the music industry. So that was the life of Fats Domino. Like I said, he was one of the few that was left unscathed throughout his life. In all the pictures that I've seen, images he's always smiling. I've never seen a picture of him that he wasn't smiling. So he was. You know, to me he sounded like he was a very kind and gentle man, but yet private. He wanted his privacy, and to stay married to the same woman for 60 years was a huge feat for those, particularly in the entertainment business, because you always hear all kinds of scandals. How many and how many times have I, even in the last two seasons, that I've talked about different artists? They were married two times, three times, or you know whatever. Fats Domino was one of the few that was married and stayed married until death. Do us part.
Speaker 1:
A lot of my sources that I took from Fats Domino's life was by biographycom, so I wanted to make sure I cite my source. So I wanted to make sure I cite my source, and you can go on. If you want to read further about him and other artists and their biographies, you can go to the biographycom website and there you will find all kinds of biography history on different entertainers and music artists. All right, so that's it. That's Domino Blueberry Hill, ain't it? Or ain't that a shame? He was a legend and a early pioneer of the early sound of rock and roll. So next week I'm going to talk about Bo Diddley. I haven't heard that name in a while, so I'm going to revitalize the name Bo Diddley, so we'll talk about him and learn more about him and what he accomplished in the early rock and roll genre.
Speaker 1:
Again, if you haven't hit that, like, hit that, subscribe and follow me on all podcast platforms. If you want to listen to other past episodes that I did on the blues and the jazz genres, you can go on wwwmorewiningmusiccom and I. There are audio versions of the episodes and roll that you are interested in for me to profile. You can also leave a comment on the website as well and just leave a suggestion. I'll be glad to research and bring it to the audience for viewers and listeners to see and to hear. All right, so again, this is Harriet. Stay safe and, whatever parts of the world you are in, stay warm. I'm in the Midwest, so the chill is not here, so, all right, take care. Bye.