New Orleans (AP) — Fats Domino, the rock ‘n’ roll pioneer whose pounding piano and easy baritone voice helped change popular music even as it honored the grand, good-humored tradition of the Crescent City, has died. He was 89.

Mark Bone, chief investigator with the Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, coroner’s office, said Domino died Tuesday.

FATS DOMINO & THE BIRTH OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL from Halli Casser-Jayne on Vimeo.

 

 

At least in appearance, Domino was no Elvis Presley. He stood 5-feet-5 and weighed more than 200 pounds (91 kilograms), with a wide, boyish smile and a haircut as flat as an album cover. But Domino sold more than 110 million records, and his 22 million-selling singles included “Blueberry Hill,” ”Ain’t It a Shame” and other rock ‘n’ roll standards.