The New Orleans pianist whose easygoing hits like 'I'm Walkin'' helped shape early rock and roll.
For the full picture, listen to 'I'm Walkin'' and 'Blueberry Hill' back to back. They show how he could make rock and roll feel both fresh and completely comfortable.
Fats Domino's sound gave rock and roll its first relaxed, welcoming personality. His 1950s hits like 'I'm Walkin'' and 'Blueberry Hill' crossed over to different audiences without losing their New Orleans feel. That rolling piano style and his warm voice made the new music feel familiar to people who might have been wary of it.
He started playing piano early in New Orleans and won a local talent contest at 14. After signing with Imperial Records in 1949, he worked with producer Dave Bartholomew and had his first hit with 'The Fat Man' the next year. Through the 1950s and into the 1960s, he recorded over 30 albums for Imperial with a steady band that often included drummer Earl Palmer and saxophonist Lee Allen.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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