Music Legend Fats Domino Passes Away At Age 89

Legendary New Orleans singer Fats Domino has passed away. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member was 89 years old at the time of his death. Antoine Domino Jr., which is Domino’s given name, died on Tuesday afternoon of natural causes. He was surrounded by his family and friends, according to his daughter.

The man who took the 1950s and 1960s music scene by storm earned a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987, the year after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He sold over 65 million albums during the course of his successful career. This is more than any other 1950s rock musician outside of Elvis Presley. It’s hard to imagine where music would be today without his contributions.

One of Fats Domino’s most popular songs was “Blueberry Hill.” He sang it to an enthusiastic crowd on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956. That performance is below.

His 1957 song, “I’m Walking” continues to be a favorite 60 years later. It’s easy to remember the words to this great song and even young kids know the lyrics. It’s a classic that has certainly stood the test of time. A video of that song is below.

Domino’s songs were a favorite on dance shows like American Bandstand. It’s easy to understand why when you hear the melodies that combined jazz with early rock and roll. He created a rhythm that was easy to dance to in the 1950s style. Listen to “Ain’t That A Shame” below and you’ll be dancing along too.

He broke onto the national scene with his first album The Fat Man, which was released in 1949. It sold over a million albums by 1953, which was an impressive feat in the days of the birth of rock and roll. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, historians have even credited it with being the first rock and roll album in existence.

Fats Domino had 63 songs on the Billboard pop chart and was on the R&B chart 59 times during his long career. In recent years, the New Orleans native had many charity performances to raise money in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Share this story to send your thoughts and prayers to Domino’s entire family!

Source: TMZ