Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew are ready to be on display. NOLA Funk Fest will showcase 34 local acts (including Irma Thomas, Leo Nocentelli’s Experiencing the Meters and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band), two symposiums and the first-ever exhibit on Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew—the New Orleans iconic duo who sold more records than anyone else in the 1950s-1963, other than Elvis.
The exhibit, “I Found My Thrill: The Music and Artistry of Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew” will open October 21 at the New Orleans Jazz Museum (400 Esplanade Avenue) and run for 20 weeks thereafter.
There will always be a debate as to who are the inventors of Rock ‘n’ Roll, but the name that is always in the mix is the Fat Man from New Orleans, Antoine “Fats” Domino. Starting with what might be the first rock ‘n’ roll song, “The Fat Man,” in 1949, Domino and his producer and songwriting partner, Dave Bartholomew, defined rock and roll. With his string of hits that lasted into the 1960s including “Ain’t That A Shame,” “Blue Monday, “ “Blueberry Hill,” “I’m Walkin’,” and many others, Domino blazed a trail around the world until his death in 2017 but always came back to New Orleans. His influence stretches from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones all the way to Elton John to The Black Keys and Jonathan Batiste. Using iconic artifacts, archival footage from Historic Films, Michael Murphy Productions, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, artwork and posters, archival photos and text, “I Found My Thrill: The Music and Artistry of Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew” details the Domino-Bartholomew relationship, explores their creative process, charts their hits, and brings context to their place in American music history.
The exhibit was produced and paid for by the Louisiana Music and Heritage Experience (LMHE) which is in the process of developing a 120,000-square foot, $160-million museum to tell the Louisiana music story from Congo Square until today. The exhibit was jointly curated by Bob Santelli (curator of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, three GRAMMY museums and five other music museums as well as author of numerous books on music history); David Kunian (New Orleans Jazz Museum curator and musicologist); and Cilista Eberle and Michael Murphy (award- winning documentary filmmakers who filmed Jazz Fest for 25 years and who have produced numerous New Orleans music documentaries). After a 20-week run at The New Orleans Jazz Museum, the Fats-Dave exhibit will travel to other Louisiana museums that have been developed as a network by LMHE to host the exhibit in the future all over the state.
“The goal of the exhibit. symposiums and NOLA Funk Fest is to demonstrate how essential LMHE is to educate and inspire with our rich history,” LMHE Board Chair Chris Beary said. “We have economic feasibility and planning complete. LMHE will be a world-wide institution on par with the Rock and Roll and Country Music Halls of Fame,” Beary adds. And as far as impact, “LMHE is expected to have over 700,000 visitors per year and $150 million of economic impact annually.”
New Orleans Jazz Museum Executive Director Greg Lambousy says “We are happy to host the inaugural NOLA Funk Fest and the exhibition, “I Found My Thrill: The Music and Artistry of Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew.” As a museum and a community space we take pride in providing start-up and long-standing institutions a platform to showcase their offerings. Our track record with organizations like French Quarter Festivals Inc, the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park, the Jazz Foundation of America and many others aligns with the New Orleans Jazz Museum’s mission.”
Single and three-day tickets for NOLA Funk Fest are on sale now, $45 for single-day admission and $100 for a three-day pass. VIP packages are also available. For more information go to nolafunkfest.com.
