Fats Domino, the amiable rock 91裸聊视频榥91裸聊视频� roll pioneer whose steady, pounding piano and easy baritone helped change popular music while honouring the traditions of the Crescent City, has died. He was 89.

Mark Bone, chief investigator with the Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, coroner91裸聊视频檚 office, said Domino died of natural causes early Tuesday.

In appearance, he was no matinee idol. He stood 5-feet-5 and weighed more than 200 pounds, with a wide, boyish smile and a haircut as flat as an album cover. But Domino sold more than 110 million records, with hits including 91裸聊视频淏lueberry Hill,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频滱in91裸聊视频檛 That a Shame91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� originally titled 91裸聊视频淎in91裸聊视频檛 It A Shame91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� and other standards of rock 91裸聊视频榥91裸聊视频� roll.

He was one of the first 10 honorees named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Rolling Stone Record Guide likened him to Benjamin Franklin, the beloved old man of a revolutionary movement.

His dynamic performance style and warm vocals drew crowds for five decades. One of his show-stopping stunts was playing the piano while standing, throwing his body against it with the beat of the music and bumping the grand piano across the stage.

Domino91裸聊视频檚 1956 version of 91裸聊视频淏lueberry Hill91裸聊视频� was selected for the Library of Congress91裸聊视频� National Recording Registry of historic sound recordings worthy of preservation. The preservation board noted that Domino insisted on performing the song despite his producer91裸聊视频檚 doubts, adding that Domino91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淣ew Orleans roots are evident in the Creole inflected cadences that add richness and depth to the performance.91裸聊视频�

Domino became a global star but stayed true to his hometown, where his fate was initially unknown after Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005. It turned out that he and his family were rescued by boat from his home, where he lost three pianos and dozens of gold and platinum records, along with other memorabilia.

Many wondered if he would ever return to the stage. Scheduled to perform at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 2006, he simply tipped his hat to thousands of cheering fans.

But in May 2007, he was back, performing at Tipitina91裸聊视频檚 music club in New Orleans. Fans cheered 91裸聊视频� and some cried 91裸聊视频� as Domino played 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 Walkin91裸聊视频�,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频滱in91裸聊视频檛 It a Shame,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频漇hake, Rattle and Roll,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频滲lueberry Hill91裸聊视频� and a host of other hits.

That performance was a highlight during several rough years. After losing their home and almost all their belongings to the floods, his wife of more than 50 years, Rosemary, died in April 2008.

Domino moved to the New Orleans suburb of Harvey after the storm but would often visit his publishing house, an extension of his old home in the Lower 9th Ward, inspiring many with his determination to stay in the city he loved.

91裸聊视频淔ats embodies everything good about New Orleans,91裸聊视频� his friend David Lind said in a 2008 interview. 91裸聊视频淗e91裸聊视频檚 warm, fun-loving, spiritual, creative and humble. You don91裸聊视频檛 get more New Orleans than that.91裸聊视频�

The son of a violin player, Antoine Domino Jr. was born on Feb. 26, 1928, to a family that grew to include nine children. As a youth, he taught himself popular piano styles 91裸聊视频� ragtime, blues and boogie-woogie 91裸聊视频� after his cousin left an old upright in the house. Fats Waller and Albert Ammons were early influences.

He quit school at age 14, and worked days in a factory while playing and singing in local juke joints at night. In 1949, Domino was playing at the Hideaway Club for $3 a week when he was signed by Imperial record company.

He recorded his first song, 91裸聊视频淭he Fat Man,91裸聊视频� in the back of a tiny French Quarter recording studio.

91裸聊视频淭hey call me the Fat Man, because I weigh 200 pounds,91裸聊视频� he sang. 91裸聊视频淎ll the girls, they love me, 91裸聊视频榗ause I know my way around.91裸聊视频�

In 1955, he broke into the white pop charts with 91裸聊视频淎in91裸聊视频檛 it a Shame,91裸聊视频� covered blandly by Pat Boone as 91裸聊视频淎in91裸聊视频檛 That a Shame91裸聊视频� and rocked out decades later under that title by Cheap Trick and others. Domino enjoyed a parade of successes through the early 1960s, including 91裸聊视频淏e My Guest91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 Ready.91裸聊视频� Another hit, 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 Walkin,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� became the debut single for Ricky Nelson.

Domino appeared in the rock 91裸聊视频榥91裸聊视频� roll film 91裸聊视频淭he Girl Can91裸聊视频檛 Help It91裸聊视频� and was among the first black performers to be featured in popular music shows, starring with Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers. He also helped bridge rock 91裸聊视频榥91裸聊视频� roll and other styles 91裸聊视频� even country/western, recording Hank Williams91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淛ambalaya91裸聊视频� and Bobby Charles91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淲alkin91裸聊视频� to New Orleans.91裸聊视频�

Like many of his peers, Domino91裸聊视频檚 popularity tapered off in the 1960s as British and psychedelic rock held sway.

Domino told Ebony magazine that he stopped recording because companies wanted him to update his style.

91裸聊视频淚 refused to change,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚 had to stick to my own style that I91裸聊视频檝e always used or it just wouldn91裸聊视频檛 be me.91裸聊视频�

Antoine and Rosemary Domino raised eight children in the same ramshackle neighbourhood where he grew up, but they did it in style 91裸聊视频� in a white mansion, trimmed in pink, yellow and lavender. The front double doors opened into an atrium with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and ivory dominos set in a white marble floor.

In 1988, all of New Orleans seemed to be talking about him after he reportedly paid in cash for two Cadillacs and a $130,000 Rolls-Royce. When the salesman asked if he wanted to call his bank about financing, Domino smiled and said, 91裸聊视频淚 am the bank.91裸聊视频�

In 1998, he became the first purely rock 91裸聊视频榥91裸聊视频� roll musician to be awarded the National Medal for the Arts. But he cited his age and didn91裸聊视频檛 make the trip to the White House to get the medal from President Clinton.

That was typical. Aside from rare appearances in New Orleans, he dodged the spotlight in his later years, refusing to appear in public or even to give interviews.

___

Associated Press writer Hillel Italie in New York City contributed to this story.

Janet McConnaughey And Kevin McGill, The Associated Press