A couple of weeks ago, I was reading an article in Entertainment Weekly titled "Back From the Brink". It talked about the efforts of the New Orleans arts community to turn things around in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. One of the musicians quoted in the article is arguably the most famous one to come out of The Big Easy... Antoine "Fats" Domino. As you may already know, Fats is a lifelong resident of New Orleans and his home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Because he had not been heard from since before the hurricane hit, it was believed that Fats was one of its casualties. Fortunately, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued Fats and he still performs in New Orleans to this day.When it comes to the rock 'n' roll stars of the 1950s, it's easy for some to overlook Fats Domino due to his unassuming persona. Elvis had the swivel hips and the swagger, Chuck Berry had those classic guitar licks to go with his duckwalk, and fellow ivory ticklers like Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis spiced up their piano skills with theatrics (playing with their feet, jumping on top of their pianos or setting the damned thing on fire).
Another reason that people sometimes forget about Fats Domino is that he is one of the few rock legends who hasn't had any scandals or controversies played out in public. With the exception of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy, I can't think of a news story I've heard about him that wasn't music-related. To the best of my knowledge, there aren't any stories of drug abuse, arrests, or a marriage to a 13 year old cousin in the history of Mr. Domino.
The things that Fats did possess are what's really important: great songs, a winning personality, and a driving, boogie-woogie style of piano playing that produced hit after hit. As a matter of fact, with the exception of Elvis, Fats Domino was the most successful rock 'n' roll artist of the 1950s. He had 33 hits on the Billboard pop charts (including ten that reached the Top 10). On the R&B charts, he was the most successful artist of the entire decade (34 Top 10 hits, 9 of which went all the way to #1). With all of Fats Domino's chart success, he never had a #1 pop hit. However, Mr. White Buck Shoes himself (Pat Boone) topped the charts with his cover of "Ain't That A Shame". Indeed it is!
I first got into the music of Fats Domino by listening to oldies stations during my early teens. He is one of those artists that when I hear his music, it's hard for me to sit still. Try listening to tunes like "Whole Lotta Lovin", "I'm Ready", and "I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Someday" without tapping your feet, clapping your hands, or bobbing your head... you can't! His music also never fails to put me in a good mood. Even with a wistful ballad like "Walkin' To New Orleans" I can smile because I know that as soon as Fats gets back to his birthplace, all will be right in this world.
On Tuesday September 25th, "Goin' Home: A Tribute To Fats Domino" is scheduled to be released. Some of the artists doing their take on classic Domino tunes include: Sir Elton John (Blueberry Hill), Sir Paul McCartney (I Want To Walk You Home), Tom Petty (I'm Walkin ), Willie Nelson (I Hear You Knockin'), B.B. King (Goin' Home) and Neil Young (Walkin' To New Orleans). The sales from the CD will help raise funds specifically for instruments to be donated to New Orleans public school children. The money will also go toward the rebuilding of Fats Domino's home and to create a community center in the city's Lower 9th Ward.
If you wanna see Fats Domino in his prime, check out the clip below from the 1956 film "Shake, Rattle, & Rock". In the clip, do recognize the future TV star who appears at the 1:31 mark?
7 comments:
Fats Domino was without a doubt one of the most prolific performers to come out of both the "Rock & Roll" era and "The Big Easy". I find it amazing that Americans remember where they were thirty years ago when the supposed "king" of rock and roll died (the jury is still out on that one) and don't even wonder anything about a true icon who helped to lay the foundation for the sound. Many thought Fats was a casuality during Katrina, but I remember when they rescued him. Cheers to you Mr. Domino and as Ritchie would say "I Found My Thrill On Blueberry Hill"...
Hey that's Mannix (Mike Connors).
Hi Pjazzy: It's nice to see Fats get some due with this upcoming tribute CD. And yes, that is a young Mike Connors... 11 years before "Mannix".
When you added your two comments, I was in the process of revising this post on Fats Domino. Feel free to comment again on what I've added.
You are right! The Fats Domino sound was infectious and he played a mean Honky Tonk piano. My personal favorite is probably "Walkin to New Orleans", though I loved them all. It's strange, but when I listened them as a child in the 60's the songs you mentioned were oldies even at that time. His career evolved during the fifties.
I am proud that Mr. Domino never married his thirteen year old cousin, dated a fourteen year old, or lived his life "out loud" in the tabloids. I think that remaining a lifelong resident of New Orleans helped to shield and protect him.
Oh yeah, don't even get me started on that ripped artist known as Pat Boone. If it wasn't for Little Richard and Fats Domino he would not have had a career. His covers sold way more than the originals. Maybe this tribute will help bring recognition to a wonderful body of work.
Pjazzy: Good point about his residency in New Orleans shielding him from the tabloids. It would nice if certain members of young Hollywood followed suit and got away from the glitz and glamour.
On Monday, I received an email from a rep for an online blog newspaper (The Issue). They informed me that they were featuring my post on Fats in the Ars and Leisure section of "The Issue"! Hopefully, people not familiar with Fats Domino will seek him out as a result of the extra publicity.
Pat Boone has said that his covering of songs by Fats and Little Richard helped to introduce their music to a wider audience. That may be true... but in a twisted way. Pat wasn't covering their records to help them gain exposure. He and his record company recognized a great song when they heard it and they were trying to squash the competition.
If you wanna hear a ballad like "Moody River" or "Love Letters In the Sand", Pat's your man. However, he had no business messing with rock and roll/R&B songs like "Tutti Frutti" and "Ain't That A Shame".
OK. This is too weird. I just scrolled down to see the posts I might have missed...and I see Fats Domino. My husband and I just watched the Spike Lee HBO Documentary about Katrina last night. (So sad, it will break your heart) Anyway, the closing credits feature "Walking to New Orleans," by Fats Domino. My husband told me how he and his dad ran into him in a paint store when he was a kid (in New Orleans)...he remembers it vividly. He thought it was so cool. My dad's fave was always "Blueberry Hill."
Mama PJ: I have been meaning to see that Spike Lee doc... I heard it is outstanding. How cool that your husband and father-in-law met Fats Domino, at a paint store no less!
Post a Comment