Wednesday, October 25, 2017

In Memoriam: Fats Domino and Robert Guillaume


New Orleans Rock Pioneer and Piano Prodigy Dies at 89

Fats Domino, the piano-playing prodigy whose lightning-fast fingers crafted a rollicking sound blending rock with rhythm-and-blues, has died, authorities said Wednesday.

He was 89.

Domino, a native of New Orleans, died at a private residence early Tuesday morning, according to the Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office in Louisiana.

He first learned to play the piano from his brother-in-law, and would go on to inspire Elvis Presley and The Beatles in a career that spanned more than five decades. In his 20s, Domino gained fame with the 1955 hit, "Ain't That a Shame," and his 1956 rock n' roll version of "Blueberry Hill," which he performed on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and saw shoot to No. 2 on the Top 40 charts. 

Click here for the full article. 

Source: NBC News  


Robert Guillaume, Emmy-Winning Star of ‘Benson,’ Dies at 89 

By Daniel E. Slotnik

Robert Guillaume, who dreamed of being the first black tenor to sing at the Metropolitan Opera but settled for acting onstage and on television — and won Emmy Awards for playing the same character on two different ABC series — died on Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 89.

His wife, Donna Brown Guillaume, said the cause was complications of prostate cancer, which he had had for 25 years.

Mr. Guillaume’s most well-known character was Benson DuBois, who began as a caustic butler on the sitcom “Soap,” which ran from 1977 to 1981, and later worked for, and eventually campaigned against, the governor of an unspecified state on the spinoff “Benson” (1979-86).

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Source: The New York Times

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