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Fats Domino

Fats Domino

Singer and pianist Fats Domino was one of the great pioneers of rock 'n' roll. Born in 1928 in New Orleans, he came from a very modest background. A bad student, he left school early but showed real talent for the piano. Aged 14, he toured nightclubs and clubs in New Orleans where he performed, but it was only at the age of 19 that he decided to become a professional musician. He signed his first contract with a record company and won his first gold record with the boogie-woogie "The Fat Man" in 1949. He met trumpeter Dave Bartholomew who became his appointed manager. From 1955, success followed success. He released "Ain't That A Shame" and "Blue Monday", which gave him the status of an international star. In 1956, he recorded the cover of "Blueberry Hill" which would remain his most famous song and would rank among the 500 greatest songs of all time. At the beginning of the 1960s, he was forced to change record labels which affected his career, especially as a whole host of British rock bands emerged at the same time and were very popular with the public. At the end of the 1960s, he retired to New Orleans where he only gave private concerts. In 1986, he was inducted into the Rock' n' Roll Hall of Fame with Elvis Presley and the following year received a Grammy Award for his entire career. In 1987, President Bill Clinton awarded him the National Arts Medal.  He died aged 89 in 2017.