The American rock and roll artist was best known for his songs Ain’t That A Shame and Blueberry Hill.

The New Orleans singer sold more than 65 million records, outselling every 1950s rock and roll act except Elvis Presley.

His million-selling debut single, The Fat Man, is credited by some as the first ever rock and roll record.

An official from New Orleans coroner’s office confirmed the death, which was earlier announced by Domino’s daughter to a local television station.

Fats Domino – whose real name was Antoine Domino Jr – was one of the first rhythm and blues artists to gain popularity with a white audience and his music was most prolific in the 1950s.

Domino had a string of number ones and more than 30 top 40 hits.

His music is also credited as a key influence on artists during the 1960s and 70s.

Elvis Presley referred to Fats Domino as “the real king of rock n roll” and Paul McCartney reportedly wrote the Beatles song Lady Madonna in emulation of his style.

In 1986 he was among the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but by his later life Domino would no longer leave his Louisiana hometown – not even to accept the award.

New Orleans-born musician and actor Harry Connick Jr is among those who have paid tribute to Domino on Twitter, saying he had “helped pave the way for New Orleans piano players”.

KT Tunstall thanked the pioneering artist for being an inspiration:

And Samuel L Jackson paid tribute citing the lyrics of one of Domino’s best loved songs:

Fats Domino: A life in music

Antoine “Fats” Domino Jr was born in New Orleans on 26 Feb 1928, the son of a violinist. His parents were of Creole origin, and French Creole was spoken in the family.

He was musically inclined from an early age and learned piano from his brother in law, the jazz banjo player, Harrison Verrett.

He was given his nickname by bandleader Bill Diamond for whom he was playing piano in honky-tonks as a teenager. He said the youngster’s technique reminded him of two other great piano players, Fats Waller and Fats Pichon.

Domino left school at the age of 14 to work in a bedspring factory by day, and play in bars by night. He was soon accompanying such New Orleans luminaries as Professor Longhair and Amos Milburn.

In the mid-1940s, he joined trumpeter Dave Bartholomew’s band, and the two co-wrote Domino’s first hit The Fat Man. Suddenly, the New Orleans sound became popular nationwide.

In an interview with the BBC in 1973, Domino spoke about his early life.

He said: “I was 17 when I made my first record in 1949. I never thought about being professional. I used to work in a lumberyard and that’s where I first heard a number on a jukebox and I liked it. It was a piano number. It was called ‘Swanee River Boogie’ by Albert Ammonds.”

Despite both musical heavyweights coming from New Orleans, Fats Domino said he only met Louis Armstrong twice in his life.

He told the BBC: “I liked the way he was singing ‘Blueberry Hill’. See, a lot of people think I wrote ‘Blueberry Hill’ but I didn’t.

“That number was wrote in 1927 and I recorded that song in 1957. We just put a different background and I just sing it the way it would fit me and it came out great for me.”

–

Source: BBC

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According to him, President Mahama hears too many voices which makes it difficult for him to hear the voice of God.

Speaking at this year’s National Prayer and Thanksgiving service held at the Holy Spirit  Cathedral in Accra, the Archbishop admonished the president to listen as he leads the country.

‘’What He [God] ask of you Sir is that you listen to Him [God], What He ask of you and with the government is that you lead us to seek the face of God in everything; what He ask of us is that you lead the government to seek the will of God at all times,’’ he said.

Archbishop Palmer Buckle urged the president to listen to God in times of difficulty. “… I know you listen; unfortunately I know you have too many voices that often make it difficult to hear what the Lord God is calling… we are praying for you and we are praying with you that on your knees, in your room before the Lord your God He alone may talk to you.’’

The Archbishop also called on the judiciary to do unto others, as they will want others to do unto them. “God says this, “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an overflowing stream [in the country of Ghana], Amos 5:24,’’ he said.

He further cautioned the judiciary that in the eyes of God, all His sons and daughters are equal.

‘’Let Ghanaians have confidence in you as men and women of righteousness, men and women striving for honesty, for integrity and for service,’’ he stated.

The Archbishop condemned the politics of exclusion describing it as ‘’ungodly’’.

“Sitting on the fence and refusing to contribute to the task of nation building is ungodly, every Ghanaian was created in the image and the likeliness of God and has been … by God with the unique gift that is to be employed for the development of this country; therefore by excluding some from participating or worse still by simply opposing every idea from one’s opponent simply for the sake of it is not Christian either,’’ he added.

He went on to speak against the politics of division just to capture power saying  ‘’please try not to divide this country up politically, try not to set us one against the other for partisan political interest or for personal political ambition and gain.’’

He finally urged Ghanaians not to be discouraged in times of challenges. “…may we never forget that it is God who has put us together into this ark of Ghana; let us not be discouraged by the challenges that we meet,’’ he concluded.

The national prayer and thanksgiving is an annual event held to give thanks to God for how far he has brought the country.

This year’s edition was on the theme, ‘’Bind us together oh Lord’’.

The service was attended by President John Mahama, Vice president, Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur, Chief Justice, Madama Georgina Wood, other government officials, Members of Parliament, Political leaders like two times flagbearer of the opposition NPP, etc.

By: Evans Effah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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