Results for “Fats Domino”

News of the death of New Orleans great Fats Domino at the age of 89 has left all at Ace who grew up with his great Imperial 45s and albums truly saddened. Even with the inevitable realisation that nobody lives forever, it’s never easy to say goodbye to someone whose music has always been part of your life, and whose records did so much to influence your future record buying habits.

Dave Bartholomew, who did so much to create the New Orleans R&B sound and in turn rock ’n’ roll—especially his recordings with Fats Domino—died in Metairie, just outside New Orleans on June 23 at the age of 100.  He was born up the Mississippi River in Edgard, Louisiana, some 30 miles from the Crescent City, on December, 24, 1918.

Louisiana uptown, downtown and down in the Swamps – it’s all here and these nine records represent the finest artists of one of the most musically literate and distinctive States in the whole of the US of A. Be it the wheezing squeezeboxes of the Cajuns, the thundering piano and mellifluous voice of Fats Domino or the spooky blues of Slim Harpo, there is plenty of boppin’ and strollin’ to be had on a Saturday night – or any night for that matter – in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Anytown, Louisiana. The music knows no colour boundaries in the racial stew that is Louisiana and maybe this goes some way to explaining why so many came, from all over the USA, to record here. Even those who emigrated to Los Angeles, as Joe Lutcher did, took that rumba to the hi falutin’ folks of Hollywood and knocked it to them. So allons maintainent and be prepared to waltz fast, two-step with elegance and have a conspicuous good time with a lot of style.

Charlie would have hated all this fuss and bother over him. He was the most self effacing man I have ever met, and in the last year or more I confirmed that view, working with him on the ‘Honky Tonk’ CD. It was entirely about the music and the people who made it and the people who helped them produce it and get it out there and promote it. That’s what excited Charlie.