American Masters (TV Series) Fats Domino and the Birth of Rock 'n' Roll (2016) User Reviews

A story without drama

[paul2001sw-1 · 6/10 · 16 January 2022]

In the racially segregated America of the early 1950s, new trends is black popular music were picked up by white performers and audiences; and youth culture, as we now know it, was born. Fats Domino was a talented artist and one of the first to popularise this new music. But the Fats Domino story, as told in this documentary, just isn't that interesting. He made music, it was good, it became popular. He had of course to deal with racism, but this is only a minor theme of this documentary. He seems to have been a nice guy and he went on to enjoy a long career, although his own style never really evolved. We get a chance to enjoy his music, and to see him perform; but there's not that much insight to accompany the nostalgia.