 One of the true pioneers of rock “n” roll music, Fats Domino has sold more than 65 million records,and although he has sold millions of records he has never had a #1 song on the Billboard Charts.
Fats was signed to Imperial records label in 1949. The owner of the label paid royalties based on sales instead of a fee for each song. A song entitled “The Fat Man” sold a million by 1951. It is also considered to be the first rock”n”roll record to achieve this level of sales. By 1956 the song “Ain’t that a shame”was the first of his records to appear on the Billboard”s pop singles chart in 1955. By that time Fats was making $10,000 a week while touring. Fats eventually had 37 top 40 singles,but none made it to #1 on the pop charts. Fats appeared in two films in 1956: Shake Rattle And Roll and The Girl Can’t Help it. In 1957 the article “King of Rock”n”Roll” in Ebony magazine featured Domino who said he was on the road 340 days a year,making up to $2,500 per evening and grossing over $50,000, he also told readers that he owned 50 suits and 100 pair of shoes and a $1,500 diamond pin. In 1986 Fats Domino was one of the first musicians to be inducted in the Rock”n”Roll hall of fame,his last album was “Christmas is a special day”,which was released in1993. His last tour was in Europe for three weeks in 1995. In 1998 President Bill Clinton awarded Domino the National Medal of Arts, Domino declined the invitation to perform at the White House. Before Fats Domino became an iconic figure in the world of Rock”n”Roll he had dropped out of high school to pursue his musical dreams, taking odd jobs like factory work and hauling ice at 14 years old. Hear more interesting facts about the Rock”n”Roll pioneer as KWMC 1490 AM presents “Fats Domino” as artist of the month on the “Little Red Rooster” show. All articles,facts and trivia,are by Wendy Johnson and all shows are produced by Javier Martinez. |
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