Fats Domino

Fats Domino was playing rock ’n’ roll before there was even a name for it. In the early ’50s he pioneered a pounding, sensual mix of boogie-woogie and New Orleans R&B that influenced not only rock’s first generation but each one that followed. Born Antoine Domino Jr. in 1928 in New Orleans, he learned piano as a child, soaking up enough blues and R&B licks to turn pro by the age of 14. By 1949 he was signed to Imperial Records, cutting “The Fat Man” with producer/bandleader/co-writer Dave Bartholomew. Today, some consider it the first huge rock ’n’ roll hit. It wasn’t until 1955 that Fats broke out of the R&B market to the pop mainstream with his milestone stroll “Ain’t That a Shame,” which remains one of rock’s most iconic tunes. Through the early ’60s, the magic team of Domino and Bartholomew turned out a titanic string of timeless hits including “I’m In Love Again,” “Blueberry Hill,” “Blue Monday,” “I’m Walkin’,” and many more, defining first-generation rock ’n’ roll in the process.