Ain’t That A Shame: Rock legend Fats Domino dies
PIANO-POUNDING rock’n’roll pioneer Fats Domino has died, aged 89.
He passed away due to natural causes on Tuesday in his home city of New Orleans.
At 5ft 5in and 200lb, Domino was an unlikely rock star. But he sold more than 110million records, including 22million singles with hits including Blueberry Hill and Ain’t That A Shame. And he was one of the first ten acts inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
One of Domino’s stunts was playing a grand piano, throwing his body against it with the beat of the music and bumping it across the stage.
He was born Antoine Domino Jr on February 26, 1928, to a family that grew to include nine children.
Having taught himself popular piano styles, he quit school at 14 and worked in a factory by day while playing and singing in local joints at night. In 1949 he was signed by the Imperial record label.
Domino broke into the white pop charts with Ain’t That A Shame, and enjoyed a parade of successes through the early 1960s. Like many of his peers, his popularity tapered off as British and psychedelic rock held sway. When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in August 2005 he and his family were rescued by boat from his home. Three pianos and dozens of his gold and platinum records were lost in the flood.
More heartache followed in April 2008, when his wife of more than 50 years, Rosemary, died.
Aside from rare appearances in New Orleans, in his later years he refused to appear in public or give interviews.
Author: Andrei Harmsworth
