The music of Fats Domino embodies the spirit of early rock and roll. His work reveals the links between rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and the black Southern singers of the early twentieth century. His music was recorded by most of the rock artists of the 1950s, who recognized his significant contribution to establishing the rock and roll sound, and he is acknowledged as a pioneer in leading the way across the racial barriers of the music industry. With more than 65 million record sales, Domino was second only to Elvis Presley in popularity during the 1950s, and is credited with bringing mass attention to the New Orleans sound, inspiring many other Southern black singers to record for white audiences.

Domino's New Orleans style of piano playing is a combination of traditional jazz, Latin rhythms, blues, Cajun, and boogie woogie that reflects that city's...