MY PERSONAL FATS DOMINO STORY!

       It was in the early 1970's and my wife, Sandi, were in Las Vegas and Fats Domino was performing at the old Flamingo Hotel and Casino. Somehow, I was able to get a table next to the stage just off center. In those days, you just gave the guy seating you a little "extra" grease and you could get a good table. 

       After he was introduced, he would come out pushing his piano while playing. To me that took talent to push the piano with his stomach, play, walk and sing. During the first set, the lady at the table adjoining ours introduced herself as Fats' girlfriend. Her name was Rene Baker.

      She asked me  after the first set if we would like to meet him. During intermission, we went out to the lobby and waited for Fats to come out. No Fats. The third and last show he never showed either. They announced he had a sore throat. I learned later on reading stories about him that he "did" drugs and maybe had gotten high or who knows. 

       It still was a night to remember. I also read years later that when the "mob" controlled a lot of the Casinos in Las Vegas, they would get entertainers, like Fats, in rigged poker games and cheat them out of their earnings!