Part II -Fats Domino- Comments - The Passing of Music Icons 2017 | Eastern North Carolina Now

   When I orignially posted the article on the passing of Fats Domino, I had hopes that it would generate some comments from Alex J. Ortolano who was raised in New Orleans. I doubt that anyone not born and raised in New Orleans could capture the musical magic that was that city.      Sometimes the comments are better than the original article. I think that may be the case with my Original Post on Fats Domino linked here >.  The Passing of Music Icons 2017 – Fats Domino – October 24, 2017    Based on that old Fats deserved a second pass. This is an extract of the comments on that original article which will be searchable on the BCN search tab above

Part II – Fats Domino – October 24, 2017 - The Passing of Music Icons 2017

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Stan Deatherage said:( October 26th, 2017 @ 7:46 am )

     B.T., thanks for doing all these finely crafted memorials about musicians' lives once they perish from this Earth. I think both of us have a more visceral connection to them than we do any other form of entertainers.

Bobby Tony said:( October 26th, 2017 @ 7:55 am )

      I agree, I am at the risk of becoming more melancholy or maudlin than normal with the passing of these icons and have almost resolved not to continue this series in 2018. However, due to the admonition of my mom, I will soldier on through the rest of 2017 unless of course Justin Bieber passes, in which case I think I can break my obsession.

"If a job is once begun
Never leave it until its done,
Be the labor great or small
Do it well or not at all" 

Alex J. Ortolano said:( October 31st, 2017 @ 7:34 am )

      Your Mom & Me...

     Regarding finishing what you start, my oldest Daughter met me after my work day in the doorway of our bedroom in Milwaukee to tell me that she had just survived her first day of Accounting Class & wanted me to tell her it was OK to drop Accounting because she did not like it. I told her she could not drop because she could not know after one class whether she liked it or not. Today she is a CPA & she loves Accounting. Father Knows Best...Or does he?

Bobby Tony said:( October 31st, 2017 @ 7:53 am )

     That is a great story, Alex. Youth often loses interest after the initial enthusiasm. Which reminds me of another quote from the my endless sink hole of useless minutiae.

     Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed. - Cavett Robert

Alex J. Ortolano said:( October 31st, 2017 @ 7:54 am )

 October 24, 2017…Today is a sad day because the Fat Man has died.

     After Katrina it was reported that Fats Domino had died in the storm.

     After he came back from the dead, and in response to the premature news of his death, Fats Domino recorded an album (his last?) called Alive and Kickin'.

     Most (all?) of the music was new.

     I bought the album and have been listening to it, off and on, since October 24, 2017…

      Alive and Kickin available on Amazon.Com

Alex J. Ortolano said:( October 31st, 2017 @ 8:03 am )

      I have never heard any hint of scandal about Fats & I don’t want to hear any now.

     If any of you hear something that terrible about him like he was the rabbit that attacked Jimma Carter, don’t tell me.

     I wanna remember him singing his latest release/hit (they were all hits) to Louie, Leon & I as we did our best to try & sell Sno Balls for a nickel a piece for Uncle George.

     Tears come to old eyes when I remember walking those 10 blocks back home trying to step on those rocket roaches that dashed across the banquette in front of me.

     I kept a tally of my highest number killed in that 10 block walk.

     I wish I still had that piece of paper.

     You know something? I never gave it a second thought that I could have been mugged.

     AlexO

     Lagniappe: "Banquette" is New Orleans talk for "Sidewalk".

Bobby Tony said:( October 31st, 2017 @ 8:17 am )

      Hear! Hear! I am with you on that. Don't wanna hear no bad news either. It is fitting to the memory of Fats there was a tribute album made by a few no name-artist listed below in 1996. 

     1."Ain't That a Shame" (Domino, Bartholomew) John Lennon
     2."I'm Walkin'" (Domino, Bartholomew) Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
     3."Goin' Home" (Domino, Bartholomew) Ivan Neville's DumpstaPhunk and B.B. King
     4."Blueberry Hill" (Rose, Lewis, Stock) Elton John
     5."My Girl Josephine" (Domino, Bartholomew) Taj Mahal and the New Orleans Social Club
     6."Every Night About This Time" (Domino, Bartholomew) Buddy Guy, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Joss Stone
     7."I Want to Walk You Home" (Domino, Bartholomew) Allen Toussaint and Paul McCartney
     8."Whole Lotta Lovin'" (Domino, Bartholomew) Rebirth Brass Band, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, Pee Wee Ellis, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker and Lenny Kravitz
     9."Don't Leave Me This Way" (Domino, Bartholomew) Doctor John
     10."I'm in Love Again/All by Myself" (Domino, Bartholomew) Jon Cleary and Bonnie Raitt
     11."Please Don't Leave Me" (Domino) Art Neville
     12."Going to the River" (Domino, Bartholomew) Robbie Robertson and Galactic
     13."Blue Monday" (Domino, Bartholomew) Randy Newman
     14."It Keeps Rainin'" (Domino, Bartholomew, Guidry) Lil Band O Gold and Robert Plant
     15."One Night (Of Sin)" (Bartholomew, King) Corinne Bailey Rae
     16."Walking to New Orleans" (Domino, Bartholomew, Guidry) Neil Young
     17."Valley of Tears" (Domino, Bartholomew) Robert Plant and the Soweto Gospel Choir
     18."My Blue Heaven" (Donaldson, Whiting) Norah Jones
     19."Honey Chile" (Domino, Bartholomew) Lucinda Williams
     20."Rising Sun" (Domino) Sam Bush and Marc Broussard
     21."When I See You" (Domino, Bartholomew) Olu Dara and the Natchezippi Band with Donald Harrison, Jr.
     22."Be My Guest" (Boyce, Domino, Marascalco) Skatalites and Ben Harper
     23."Let the Four Winds Blow" (Domino, Bartholomew) Toots & the Maytals
     24."I Hear You Knockin'" (Bartholomew, King) Willie Nelson
     25."I Just Can't Get New Orleans Off My Mind" (Domino) Irma Thomas and Marcia Ball
     26."Don't Blame It on Me" (Domino, Bartholomew) Bruce Hornsby
     27."I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday" (Domino, Bartholomew, Hayes) Herbie Hancock, Ziggy Modeliste and Renard Poche
     28."The Fat Man" (Domino, Bartholomew) Los Lobos
     29."So Long" (Domino, Bartholomew) Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and Galactic
     30."When the Saints Go Marching In" (traditional) Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Theresa Andersson

     Fats Domino Tribute Album

     It only takes a cursory browse of the lis to see that "The Fat Man" was a prolific songwriter along with his writing partner David Louis Bartholomew.

     Thanks for the memories, I knew a native could express the love we all felt for "The Fat Man"

Alex J. Ortolano said:( October 31st, 2017 @ 8:27 am )

      This one isn't about Fats but Fats would have liked this story...

     Sweet Emma Barrett

     When I was in college in New Orleans I rented cars for Avis part-time ($1.12/hr). I felt rich!

     I sometimes worked out of the Airport and sometimes on Rampart Street on the edge of the French Quarter. Actually the office was on the Corner of Rampart and St. Peter Streets.

     Preservation Hall is on St. Peter Street just off of Bourbon Street. Many times I would close up the office at 11pm and walk the six blocks or so to Preservation Hall and sit a couple of hours. Strangely enough I was not worried about getting mugged. Don't try this walk today.

     One time I went in there and Sweet Emma was missing. The members of the band told us that she had had a stroke. At one point in their playing they announced that they were going to play Sweet Emma's favorite tune. In preparation for this someone dropped a nickel (in those days it really was a nickel) into the pay phone on the wall and dialed up Sweet Emma's phone number.

     Then they started playing her music. After awhile the trumpet player went over nearer the phone and tooted in Sweet Emma's phone direction. I was in a position that I could see his face. As he played he cried like a baby.

     One of the next times I went in Sweet Emma was back at the piano playing her heart out as she always had. There was one difference. She was only able to use one arm. She was as good as ever but she seemed to perspire more. She had a lot of keys to cover using one arm.

     A lot of people were very happy that night and no one was crying.

     AlexO

Bobby Tony said:( October 31st, 2017 @ 8:40 am )

      

     I hope the reading audience will forgive two aging (or at least one) gentlemen's walk down Memory Lane.

     One of my Favorite songwriters was John Stewart formerly of The Kingston Trio. He wrote a song shortly after Katrina hit in 2006 about New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina. If it is possible to transport ala Star Trek, this song does it for me regarding New Orleans.

     Here is a Video someone made using the song as background.

"I never Got To see New Orleans" John Stewart

    Here is the story of Fat's house in New Orleans and a brief history of him and the house.

The Home of Fats Domino

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   One Final update for "The Fat Man"
"Added Nov 2, 2017 8:30AM"
    To paraphrase an old John Stewart song about the celebration for Fats in New Orleans.
"Why they were just a lot of people doing the best they could"
"Just a lot of people doing the best they could"
And then the lady said that they did it, "pretty up and walking good"

Nov 1, 2017 Second Line tribute to Fats.