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Fats Domino, Legendary Musician, Dead at 89

NEW ORLEANS — Fats Domino, the award winning singer, songwriter and pianist, died on Tuesday night. He was 89. The musical pioneer, born Antoine Domino, J...
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NEW ORLEANS -- Fats Domino, the award winning singer, songwriter and pianist, died on Tuesday night. He was 89.

The musical pioneer, born Antoine Domino, Jr. in New Orleans in 1928, has been battling health issues for several years.

Mark Bone, chief investigator with the Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, coroner’s office, confirmed the death to the Associated Press.

Domino pioneered the use of the triplet in popular music, banging out three notes on his piano when contemporary musicians were sticking to one.

His distinctive sound and unforgettable voice can be heard on countless classic R&B and early Rock 'n' Roll songs, from "Ain't That a Shame," to "Blueberry Hill," "Walking to New Orleans," and "Let the Four Winds Blow."

Born and raised in the Ninth Ward, Domino narrowly escaped Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters in 2005.

In 2013, restoration was completed on a piano from Domino's home that was nearly destroyed in the flood.

“The morning of Hurricane Katrina, the first thing you saw when the water came in was the piano turned over. It flipped over,” Fats' daughter Andonica Domino said at the time.

Repairs costs $30,000 and the money came from several sources including retired music producer Allan Slaight and Sir Paul McCartney as well as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Tipitina’s Foundation.

Here is a look at the life of award winning singer, songwriter and pianist Fats Domino.

Personal:
Birth name: Antoine Domino, Jr.
Birth date: February 26, 1928
Birth place: New Orleans, Louisiana
Marriage: Rosemary (August 6, 1947-March 10, 2008, her death)
Children: Antoinette, Antoine III, Andrea, Andre, Anatole, Anola, Adonica, and Antonio

Other Facts:
Has sold over 65 million albums.
"Blueberry Hill," "Ain't That a Shame" and "I'm Walkin'" are some of his biggest hits.
The singer Chubby Checker's stage name was a word play on Fats Domino.

Timeline:
1949 - His album, "The Fat Man," is released. The single "The Fat Man" reaches #2 on the R&B charts and sells a million copies.
1986 - Inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
1987 - Receives the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
1995 - Receives the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm & Blues Foundation.
1998 - Wins the National Medal for the Arts from the National Endowment for the Arts.
August 29, 2006 - President George W. Bush presents Domino with a new National Medal of the Arts. His first one was lost during Hurricane Katrina.
January 27, 2007 - Receives a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Best of the Beat Music Awards in New Orleans. Mayor Ray Nagin declares January 27, 2007, as Fats Domino Day.
November 22, 2008 - "Fats Domino: Walkin' Back to New Orleans," a documentary of his life, premieres on Louisiana Public Broadcast television.
May 30, 2009 - Is inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. The ceremony is held in conjunction with a fundraiser, The Domino Effect, to rebuild schools and playgrounds. Little Richard accepts the plaque as Domino watches from a private suite nearby.
February 26, 2016 - PBS airs "The Big Beat: Fats Domino and the Birth of Rock 'n' Roll," a documentary film from director Joe Lauro.

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