Jayme Deerwester and Kristin McGrath

USA TODAY

Fats Domino, who shaped the infancy of rock and roll with songs like Blueberry Hill, The Fat Man, Ain’t That a Shame and I’m Walkin’, has died at 89, New Orleans' WWL-TV and the Associated Press report.

Mark Bone, chief investigator with the Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, coroner’s office, told the AP that the rock pioneer died Tuesday.

WWL-TV anchor Eric Paulson received word from the family early Wednesday morning confirming his death. Domino's daughter said he was surrounded by family and friends and died peacefully.

Born Antoine Dominique Domino on Feb. 26, 1928, Domino got the nickname “Fats” playing piano at clubs when he was a child. At age 14, he dropped out of school so he could get a day job at a factory and play the bars at night. He married Rosemary Hall in 1947, and the first of their eight children was born when Domino was 20.

Domino almost lost his hand at his factory job, and it is to the world’s benefit that he did not—he was quickly mastering the piano and the New Orleans R&B style that he would soon share with a wider audience.

In 1949, Domino joined forces with trumpet player Dave Bartholomew to record his first single The Fat Man, which went on to sell a million copies, becoming one of the first rock ‘n’ roll songs to do so.

During the ’50s, rock ‘n’ roll was coming into its own, and Domino was a driving force behind it. In 1955, his song Ain’t That a Shame became a top 10 hit and was soon recorded by Pat Boone, making it a hit among teens. Walking to New Orleans, Blueberry Hill and I’m Walkin ’ were just some of his more than three dozen top 40 hits.

Although his success on the charts declined as musical tastes shifted during the ’60s, Domino kept recording, and his music influenced the next generation of artists, including the Beatles, whose Lady Madonna echoed his style.

Billy Joel inducted Domino into the Rock Hall of Fame during the first ceremony in 1986, calling him the man "who proved that the piano was a rock and roll instrument."

Later in his career, Domino vowed to give up touring and never leave New Orleans. Even an invitation from Bill Clinton to perform at the White House after he received a National Medal of Arts in 1998 was not enough to persuade him to leave.

“There’s no place like New Orleans for me,” he told USA TODAY in 2007. “I like that nightclubs stay open all day and all night. People are friendly here. You can’t find better food.”

When Domino’s beloved city was hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, it was unclear if Domino had survived in the days following the storm. He had, in fact, been rescued by helicopter and returned as soon as he could to his community.

In 2007, New Orleans musicians interpreted his classic songs on Goin’ Home, a tribute album whose proceeds went to help rebuild his home in the Lower Ninth Ward. (Also part of the project: Tom Petty, who recorded a version of I'm Walkin.')

Domino also lost his National Medal of Arts in the hurricane. A year later, President George W. Bush visited him at home to deliver the replacement.

As he prepared to start over in the city he still vowed never to leave, Domino told USA TODAY, “I hope it goes well with the Lord; that’s what I’ve got to prepare for. We’re only passing through. We’re a bunch of sinners, and time is passing on.”

Entertainment world mourns Fats Domino

Wendell Pierce, who played a jazz musician in post-Katrina New Orleans in HBO's Treme and is from there himself, wrote, "Words fail me in this moment of deep heartache and sadness. We have lost a legend. One of my heroes. New Orleans’ Fats Domino is dead."

"RIP Fats Domino," wrote Harry Connick Jr. "You helped pave the way for New Orleans piano players ... See you on top of that blueberry hill in the sky."

Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise called him a "New Orleans legend."

"Our hearts are heavy today, but we will always remember his love for life and New Orleans through his iconic music," wrote Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards.

In a statement, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said, "For a city known for its incredible, talented musicians, Fats Domino ranked among the all-time greats. We have lost an incredible music and New Orleans icon."

"We lost a Rock and Roll legend today," acknowledged Darius Rucker. "Rest In Peace to the man Fats Domino!! Your music will live forever!!

"He paved the way for so many," recalled LL Cool J. "I remember listening to his music as a little boy."

"We have lost a TRUE American treasure," Kid Rock said. "God bless you Fats!! RIP."

Singer/songwriter and fellow Louisiana native Kenny Wayne Shepherd mused, "What a great musician and entertainer. Saw him when I was a young boy and loved every minute of it."