Fats Domino

One of nine kids in his family, Antoine Dominique Domino was born on February 26, 1928, in New Orleans, Louisiana. To make a living, at 21 years of age “The Fat Man” was performing at the Hideaway Club and other small venues in New Orleans when he signed a recording contract with Imperial Records and cut several songs including his first R&B hit, “The Fat Man” in 1949.

An immediate success in the era before the official birth of rock n’ roll, Fats Domino’s bluesy, boogie-woogie style of music would dominate the Rhythm and Blues and Pop charts for most of the 50’s, with “Goin’ Home” in 1952 and the remake of Glenn Miller’s recording, “Ain’t That a Shame” that was “Fats” first top ten hit on the pop charts in the summer of 1955. “All by Myself” and “Poor Me” also would hit the top of the R&B surveys.

Appearing in motion pictures, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” and “The Girl Can’t Help It”, Fats Domino charted six times in 1956, with “Bo Weevil”, “I’m In Love Again”, “My Blue Heaven”, “When My Dreamboat Comes Home” “So Long” and his chart topper, “Blueberry Hill”.

Touring with the “Biggest Show of Stars for 57” Fats hit with an amazing 11 songs including, “Blue Monday”, “I’m Walkin”, “Valley of Tears” “It’s You I Love”, “When I See You”, “Wait and See”, The Big Beat” and “I Want You to Know”. The year 1958 brought “Sick and Tired” and “Whole Lotta Love.”

Ending a decade of dominance of the Hit Parade, Fats landed eight more times in 1959. Among those hits were, “I’m Ready”, “I Want to Walk You Home”, “I’m Gonna Be A Wheel Someday” and “Be My Guest”. Among the ten additional Fats Domino singles to chart in 1960 were, “Walking to New Orleans”, Don’t Come Knockin”, “Three Nights a Week” and “My Girl Josephine”.

During his recording career, Fats Domino is credited with selling more than 110 million records, was on the pop charts 37 times and the Rhythm and Blues charts 59 times.

Fats Domino was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and received a Lifetime Achievement Award in the 29th Grammy ceremony in 1987.

In 2007 Fats Domino was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

Fats Domino recorded a version of Smiley Lewis's song "I hear you knocking".