He Gave Us a 'Thrill'

Traversing the teenage experience in the mid-1950's, one could not help but be impacted by Antoine Dominique Domino, Jr.

"Fats" Domino had eleven Top 10 rock & roll hits during that time period 1955-60, and was second only in total record sales to Elvis. Should you still doubt the largeness of "Fats," consider that some twenty years later the television sitcom 'Happy Days' staring, Ron Howard (Richie Cunningham) frequently had Richie singing "Fats" Domino's staple song, 'Blueberry Hill' to anchor the flavor-of-the-fifties.

I suppose for my contemporaries (1956) 'Blueberry Hill' could have been that first goodnight kiss at her front door or perhaps a sweet moment at one of those infamous young-teenage house-party games; maybe the thrill was a more closely acquainted moment at the local Drive Inn Theater. In any event when "Fats" Domino banged out those first chords and began to sing, "I found my thrill......," we ALL related!

Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. died this week at age 89. The chubby little black boy who dropped from elementary school taught himself to play the piano and began singing in bars at the age of 14. He was married to the same woman with whom he fathered eight children for sixty years. His worth was nearly ten million dollars at his death. He never turned his back on his 9th ward New Orleans folks.

Thanks for the carefree memory lane music, "Fats." Say hello to Sam, Jackie and Chuck.
(Touch)
Thrill