Editing Fats Domino (section)

===Recordings for Imperial Records (1949–1962)===
Domino was signed to the [[Imperial Records]] label in 1949 by owner [[Lew Chudd]], to be paid royalties based on sales instead of a fee for each song. He and producer [[Dave Bartholomew]] wrote "[[The Fat Man (song)|The Fat Man]]", a toned down version of a song about drug addicts called "[[Junker Blues]]"; the record had sold a million copies by 1951.<ref name="auto" /> Featuring a rolling piano and Domino vocalizing "[[wah-wah (music)|wah-wah]]" over a strong [[beat (music)|backbeat]], "The Fat Man" is widely considered the first rock-and-roll record to achieve this level of sales.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite book|first=Paul|last=Friedlander|date=2006|title=Rock and Roll: A Social History|publisher=[[Westview Press]]|location=Boulder, Colorado|page=28|isbn=9780429963254}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2007/may/14/fatshowdominoinventedrockn|title=How Fats Domino invented rock'n'roll |first=Owen|last=Adams|work=The Guardian|date=May 14, 2007|access-date=October 25, 2017}}</ref> In 2015, the song would enter the [[Grammy Hall of Fame]].<ref name="PBStimeline" />

Domino released a series of hit songs with Bartholomew (also the co-writer of many of the songs), the saxophonists [[Herbert Hardesty]] and [[Alvin Tyler|Alvin "Red" Tyler]], the bassist Billy Diamond and later [[Frank Fields]], and the drummers [[Earl Palmer]] and [[Smokey Johnson]]. Other notable and long-standing musicians in Domino's band were the saxophonists [[Reggie Houston]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://reggiehouston.com/bio-press-photos|title=Reggie Houston – Bio & Press Photos|website=reggiehouston.com|access-date=October 26, 2017}}</ref> [[Lee Allen (musician)|Lee Allen]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.offbeat.com/articles/masters-of-louisiana-music-lee-allen/|title=Masters of Louisiana Music: Lee Allen – OffBeat Magazine|date=December 2000 |access-date=October 26, 2017}}</ref> and Fred Kemp, Domino's trusted bandleader.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ioldies.com/lifestyle_artists/1369/Artists_-_Fats_Domino.html|title=Classic Music Hits and Artists – I Oldies Music Store|website=iOldies Music Store|access-date=October 26, 2017}}</ref>[[Image:Fats Domino 1956.png|thumb|upright|Domino singing "[[Blueberry Hill]]" on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' in 1956]]

While Domino's own recordings were done for Imperial, he sometimes sat in during that time as a session musician on recordings by other artists for other record labels. Domino's rolling piano triplets provided the memorable instrumental introduction for [[Lloyd Price]]'s first hit, "[[Lawdy Miss Clawdy]]", recorded for [[Specialty Records]] on March 13, 1952, at [[Cosimo Matassa]]'s [[J&M Recording Studios]] in New Orleans (where Domino himself had earlier recorded "The Fat Man" and other songs). Dave Bartholomew was producing Price's record, which also featured familiar Domino collaborators Hardesty, Fields and Palmer as sidemen, and he asked Domino to play the piano part, replacing the original session pianist.<ref>Coleman (2006). pp. 72–74.</ref>

Domino crossed into the [[popular music|pop]] mainstream with "[[Ain't That a Shame]]" (mislabeled as "Ain't It a Shame") which reached the Top Ten. This was the first of his records to appear on the Billboard pop singles chart (on July 16, 1955), with the debut at number 14.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8014043/fats-dominos-biggest-billboard-hits-from-aint-that-a-shame-to|title=Fats Domino's Biggest Billboard Hits: From 'Ain't That a Shame' to 'Blueberry Hill' & More|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=October 29, 2017}}</ref> A milder cover version by [[Pat Boone]] reached number 1,<ref name=pc6>{{cite web|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19752/m1/|title=Show 6&nbsp;– Hail, Hail, Rock 'n' Roll: The Rock Revolution Gets Underway. [Part 2&#93;: UNT Digital Library|access-date=October 25, 2017}}</ref> having received wider radio airplay in an era of racial segregation. In 1955, Domino was said to be earning $10,000 a week while touring, according to a report in [[Chuck Berry]]'s memoir. Domino eventually had 37 [[Top 40]] singles, but none made it to number 1 on the Pop chart.<ref name="Rolling Stone death" />

Domino's debut album contained several of his recent hits and earlier blues tracks that had not been released as singles, and was issued on the Imperial label (catalogue number 9009) in November 1955, and was reissued as ''[[Rock and Rollin' with Fats Domino]]''.<ref name=discog>{{cite book|last=Strong|first=Martin C.|title=The Great Rock Discography: Complete Discographies Listing Every Track Recorded by More Than 1,200 Artists|publisher=Canongate U.S.|year=2004|page=434|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_WoRAPJQ58sC&q=%22Fats+Domino%22+album+discography&pg=PA436|isbn=1841956155}}</ref> The reissue reached number 17 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' Pop Albums]] chart.<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r35710/charts-awards|label=Rock and Rollin' with Fats Domino Billboard Albums|access-date=October 26, 2017}}</ref>

His 1956 recording of "[[Blueberry Hill]]", a 1940 song by [[Vincent Rose]], [[Al Lewis (lyricist)|Al Lewis]] and [[Larry Stock]] (which had previously been recorded by [[Glenn Miller]], [[Gene Autry]], [[Louis Armstrong]] and others), reached number 2 on the Billboard Juke Box chart for two weeks<ref name="PBSexcerpt">{{Cite web|url=http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/fats-domino-book-excerpt-blue-monday-fats-domino-lost-dawn-rock-n-roll/6599/|title=Book Excerpt: Blue Monday. Fats Domino and the Lost Dawn of Rock 'N' Roll|last=Coleman|first=Rick|date=February 17, 2016|website=Pbs.org}}</ref> and was number 1 on the R&B chart for 11 weeks. It was his biggest hit,<ref name=pc6 /> selling more than 5 million copies worldwide in 1956 and 1957. The song was subsequently recorded by [[Elvis Presley]], [[Little Richard]], and [[Led Zeppelin]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/fats-domino-dead-best-songs-aint-that-a-shame-blueberry-hill-a8019576.html|title=5 of Fats Domino's most influential songs|date=October 25, 2017|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|access-date=October 29, 2017|language=en-GB}}</ref> Some 32 years later, the song would enter the
Grammy Hall of Fame.<ref name="PBStimeline" />

Domino had further hit singles between 1956 and 1959, including "When My Dreamboat Comes Home" (Pop number 14), "[[I'm Walkin']]" (Pop number 4), "[[Valley of Tears (song)|Valley of Tears]]" (Pop number 8), "It's You I Love" (Pop number 6), "[[Whole Lotta Lovin' (Fats Domino song)|Whole Lotta Lovin']]" (Pop number 6), "[[I Want to Walk You Home]]" (Pop number 8), and "[[Be My Guest (Fats Domino song)|Be My Guest]]" (Pop number 8).<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/fats-domino/chart-history/hsi/|title=Fats Domino Chart History|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=October 26, 2017}}</ref> In 1957, Domino maintained "What they call rock 'n' roll now is rhythm and blues. I've been playing it for 15 years in New Orleans".<ref name="rollingstone.com"/><ref name="Washington Post">{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/10/26/some-declared-fats-domino-dead-during-katrina-he-lived-to-laugh-about-it/ | title=Some declared Fats Domino dead during Katrina. He lived to laugh about it | first=Travis M. | last=Andrews | date=October 26, 2017 | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

Domino appeared in two films released in 1956: ''[[Shake, Rattle & Rock! (1956 film)|Shake, Rattle & Rock!]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049749|title=Shake, Rattle & Rock|website=IMDb.com|date=April 5, 1957|access-date=November 1, 2006}}</ref> and ''[[The Girl Can't Help It]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049263|title=The Girl Can't Help It|website=IMDB.com|date=December 1956|access-date=November 1, 2006}}</ref> On December 18, 1957, his hit recording of "The Big Beat" was featured on [[Dick Clark]]'s ''[[American Bandstand]]''.
He was also featured in a movie of the same name.<ref name="PBS1">{{cite news|last1=Coleman|first1=Rick|title=Fats Domino: Timeline of His Life, Hits and Career Highlights|url=http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/fats-domino-timeline-of-dominos-life-hits-and-career-highlights/6252/|access-date=October 26, 2017|publisher=PBS|date=January 26, 2016}}</ref>

On November 2, 1956, a riot broke out at a Domino concert in [[Fayetteville, North Carolina]]. The police used tear gas to break up the unruly crowd. Domino jumped out a window to avoid the melee; he and two members of his band were slightly injured.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://oldies.about.com/od/oldieshistory/a/november2.htm|title=Oldies Music|website=About.com|access-date=April 26, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101003104919/http://oldies.about.com/od/oldieshistory/a/november2.htm|archive-date=October 3, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> During his career, four major riots occurred at his concerts, "partly because of integration", according to his biographer Rick Coleman. "But also the fact they had alcohol at these shows. So they were mixing alcohol, plus dancing, plus the races together for the first time in a lot of these places."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kpbs.org/news/2016/feb/26/american-masters-fats-domino-and-birth-rock-n-roll/|title=AMERICAN MASTERS: Fats Domino And The Birth Of Rock 'n' Roll|first=Jennifer|last=Robinson|date=February 26, 2016 |publisher=kpbs.org|access-date=October 26, 2017}}</ref> In August 1957, he was banned from performing at [[Griffith Stadium]] in Washington, DC due to security concerns raised by city commissioner Robert McLaughlin.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ghostsofdc |date=October 2, 2012 |title=Rowdy Rock 'n' Roll: Fats Domino Banned From Griffith Stadium |url=https://ghostsofdc.org/2012/10/02/rowdy-rock-n-roll-fats-domino-banned-from-griffith-stadium/ |access-date=January 21, 2023 |website=Ghosts of DC |language=en-US}}</ref>

In November 1957, Domino appeared on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]''; no disturbance accompanied this performance.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Icons of R & B and soul: an encyclopedia of the artists who revolutionized rhythm|last=Gulla|first=Bob|date=2008|publisher=Greenwood Press|isbn=9780313340444|location=Westport, Conn.|pages=61|oclc=230807722}}</ref>

In the same year, the article "King of Rock 'n' Roll" in ''[[Ebony (magazine)|Ebony]]'' magazine featured Domino who said he was on the road 340 days a year, up to $2,500 per evening, and grossing over $500,000; Domino also told readers that he owned 50 suits, 100 pairs of shoes and a $1,500 diamond horseshoe stick pin.<ref name="PBSexcerpt" />

Domino had a steady series of hits for Imperial through early 1962, including "Walking to New Orleans" (1960, Pop number 6), co-written by [[Bobby Charles]], and "[[My Girl Josephine]]" (Pop number 14) in the same year. He toured Europe in 1962 and met the Beatles who would later cite Domino as an inspiration.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/25/obituaries/fats-domino-89-one-of-rock-n-rolls-first-stars-is-dead.html|title=Fats Domino, Early Rock 'n' Roller With a Boogie-Woogie Piano, Is Dead at 89|first1=Jon|last1=Pareles|first2=William|last2=Grimes|newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 25, 2017 |access-date=October 26, 2017}}</ref> After returning, he played the first of his many stands in Las Vegas.<ref name="PBStimeline" />

Imperial Records was sold in early 1963,<ref name="rockhall">{{cite web|url=https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/fats-domino|title=Fats Domino|website=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame|access-date=October 26, 2017}}</ref> and Domino left the label. "I stuck with them until they sold out," he said in 1979. In all, he recorded over 60 singles for Imperial, placing 40 songs in the top 10 on the R&B chart and 11 in the top 10 on the Pop chart, twenty-seven of which were double-sided hits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uncamarvy.com/FatsDomino/fatsdomino.html|title=Fats Domino The Imperial Years|first=Marv|last=Goldberg|publisher=Unca Marvy's R&B Page |access-date=October 26, 2017}}</ref>