Antoine Domino, Jr. was born on 26 February 1928, in New Orleans, Louisiana USA, to mother Donatile and father Antoine Calice Domino, a well-known violinist, of French Creole descent. He was a pianist and singer-songwriter, best known for his hits “Ain’t That A Shame”, “Blueberry Hill” and “Walking To New Orleans” in the early days of rock ‘n’ roll during the 1950s. He passed away in 2017.
A famous singer, how rich was Fats Domino? According to sources in late-2017, Domino still has an net worth of over $8 million, accumulated during his singing career which began in the late 1940s. He is rumoured to have gambled away rather more.
Fats Domino Net Worth $8 Million
Domino grew up in New Orleans, along with his eight siblings. Coming from a musical family, Domino began learning to play the piano at nine. He dropped out of school at 14 and began working at a local bedspring factory, however, during the nights he performed in local clubs such as the Hideway Club, where he was discovered by Dave Bartholomew of Imperial Records, who became Domino’s producer and bandleader and who co-wrote almost all of Domino’s hits. In 1949 his song “The Fat Man” came out; it is considered by some as the first rock ‘n’ roll song ever, selling over a million copies. From then on, Domino’s popularity started to grow. He went on to release a number of hits, 37 of them being Top 40 singles, which included “Rockin’ Chair”, “Please Don’t Leave Me”, “You Done Me Wrong” and “Goin Home”. All added to his net worth.
In 1955 Domino released the single “Ain’t That A Shame”, which enabled him to reach a high level of popularity among worldwide audiences, and gain the status of a rock ‘n’ roll star. With it, the singer crossed over to pop charts and eventually to the white audience, which was difficult in the US at that time. The same year his debut album “Carry On Rockin” came out, being reissued as “Rock ‘n’ Rollin’ with Fats Domino” the following year. The song “Blueberry Hill” achieved great chart success, selling over five million copies. Domino’s net worth was considerably boosted.
The singer reinforced his popularity by appearing in two 1956 films, “Shake, Rattle & Rock” and “The Girl Can’t Help It”. The following year he appeared in the film “Jamboree”, keeping him in the spotlight and lifting his net worth.
Domino had recorded several more hits under Imperial, such as “I’m in Love Again”, “Blue Monday”, “I’m Walkin'”, “Whole Lotta Loving” and “Walkin’ to New Orleans”, before the label was sold in 1963. That year he signed with ABC-Paramount Records, releasing 11 new singles. However, only the song “Red Sails in the Sunset” reached the Top 40. In 1965 he reunited with Bartholomew, signing with his label Mercury and also with Reprise, and releasing his last Top 100 chart single “Lady Madonna”. In 1969 he appeared in The Monkees’ television special “33⅓ Revolutions per Monkee”, so his wealth was still increasing.
Although the ’70s and ’80s saw no new record releases by the singer, he continued to tour regularly. He made a cameo appearance in the 1980 Clint Eastwood film “Any Which Way You Can”.
In 1991 a boxed set of Domino’s greatest hits came out. Two years later he released the album “Christmas is a Special Day”, under the EMI/Right Stuff label. The year 2006 saw the release of Domino’s album “Alive and Kickin”, which was followed by his greatest hits album in the following year.
In recent years, Domino didn’t perform, or record new material, and largely stayed out of the spotlight. In 2012 he made a cameo appearance in the television series “Treme”.
As a singer who sold more records (around 65 million) than any other ’50s rocker except Elvis Presley, amassing considerable wealth early in his career. He also received numerous prestigious awards and honors, such as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and two National Medals of the Arts, one by President George W. Bush and the other by President Bill Clinton. In 1986 he was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
In his private life, in 1947 Domino married Rosemary Domino, with whom he had eight children. After his wife died in 2008, Domino remained single.
The singer made headlines in 2005, after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, as his house was heavily flooded, and Domino wasn’t seen or heard of by anyone around that time, so rumors speculated on his death. However, it was soon revealed that Domino and his family were rescued and safe, although a great deal of his memorabilia was lost.
Fats Domino died at the age of 89 at his home in New Orleans on 25 October 2017, of natural causes.
