Fats Domino: Man who influenced Rock n’ Roll

If you come across a stack of old vinyl records of American music, there should be an EP or LP of Fats Domino in that lot.  
Fats Domino (the nickname describes his girth) is no more. His death at age 89 was announced last week. If he is less well known here than Louis Armstrong within that small circle of people who listen to vintage American blues, R&B and rock n’ roll, that’s entirely due to weaknesses in their musical taste.  
Fats Domino was as much as a giant in the world of musical entertainment as any, and some credit him with the world’s first rock n’ roll record.  
His 1949 single The Fat Man fits that bill more than many other claimants (though others might argue equally strongly for Chuck Berry). The Fat Man was based on a 1940 track called Junkers Blues originally recorded by Champion Jack Dupree.  
Domino was a pianist, and his playing here is far more aggressive than what was normal for R & B at the time, and together with saxophone and guitar, the music is loud and feasty, and the lyrics referred to Junkers’ Blues’ references to cocaine and heroin while celebrating Domino’s size and his success with the girls: “I weigh two hundred pounds, all the girls love me, because I know my way around.”  
Altogether an unusual record, it sold a million copies. Until then, Domino had been just another pianist in a New Orleans band. The Fat Man turned him into a celebrity.  

"Altogether an unusual record, it sold a million copies. Until then, Domino had been just another pianist in a New Orleans band. "

Elvis Presley called him “the real king of rock n’ roll.” He influenced many younger musicians – his Ain’t That a Shame was the first song the young John Lennon learned to play, and Paul McCartney’s Madonna was deeply influenced by Domino. After the Beatles were formed, the band visited Domino to pay homage.  
But Domino was really a Boogie-Woogie musician. Boogie Woogie became mainstream music in the U.S. in the 1920s, though its roots go further back. He learned the style from his brother, a jazz musician. The style is written all over Domino’s debut album, Carry on Rockin’ With Fats Domino.  
By then, Elvis had signed a contract with a major record label, and American music was undergoing seismic changes. Domino was no fool. He made the transition into rock n’ roll swiftly, and his debut album was quickly re-titled Rock and Rollin’ With Fats Domino. This was followed by two movie appearances and a run of classic singles with deep roots in the jazz and R&B of New Orleans, but with an overall rock n’ roll make up. They were good enough to make it to the US Hot 100, a difficult achievement back in the 1950s for a black artiste.  
These singles include I’m in Love Again and Blueberry Hill, a cover of a 40s Glenn Miller number which became Domino’s signature song.  
By the time the Beatles appeared, though, Domino was on the wane. By 1963, the record label which had signed him on tried to soften his sound. This had a disastrous effect on his career. By 1970, the sound toughened again, influenced by contemporary soul, and he came out with another fantastic Beatles cover, the White Album’s Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except For Me and My Monkey. This revived his career somewhat. But, by the 80s, he declined to leave New Orleans at all, saying he couldn’t manage without his favourite food.  
Despite this fondness for New Orleans food, his life and career was lengthy and productive. His jovial face seemed ageless (and looks very Sri Lankan from some angles) and he was not temperamental like some of his contemporaries. When a riot broke out during a performance in North Carolina, he climbed out of a window and got away. Apart from rock n’ roll, had a deep influence on Jamaican Reggae, with his strong emphasis on the offbeat which became a hallmark of ska.