Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist and singer-songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records.
Between 1955 and 1960, he had eleven Top 10 US pop hits. By 1955 five of his records had sold more than a million copies, being certified gold. The Associated Press estimates that during his career, the artist "sold more than 110 million records and the Grammy organization states that Domino landed 37 songs in the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 throughout his career, including 11 that peaked inside the Top 10".
His humility and shyness may be one reason his contribution to the genre has been overlooked. The significance of his work was great however; Elvis Presley declared Domino to be "the real king of rock ‘n’ roll" and once announced that Domino "was a huge influence on me when I started out".
Four of Domino's records were named to the Grammy Hall of Fame for their significance: "Blueberry Hill", "Ain't It A Shame", "Walking to New Orleans" and "The Fat Man". "The Fat Man" "is cited by some historians as the first rock and roll single and the first to sell more than 1 million copies".
Last Updated: June 9, 2021
