DaveBartholomew

Born in Edgard, Louisiana on Christmas Eve 1918, Dave Bartholomew learned trumpet from Peter Davis — the same man who had taught Louis Armstrong — and was playing professionally in his teens. After Army service in World War II, he returned to New Orleans and formed his dance band, the Dew Droppers, out of the Dew Drop Inn. His arranger's ear, his instinct for a groove, and his ability to organize a session made him invaluable.

In 1949 he signed with Imperial Records as A&R director for New Orleans and discovered Fats Domino at the Hideaway Club. Their first collaboration, "The Fat Man," sold a million copies and is widely cited as one of the first rock and roll records. Over the next decade they co-wrote and produced an extraordinary string of hits: "Ain't That a Shame," "Blueberry Hill," "I'm Walkin'," "Blue Monday," and dozens more that defined the era.

Beyond Domino, Bartholomew wrote, arranged, and produced for a remarkable range of Imperial artists — Smiley Lewis, Earl King, Chris Kenner, Shirley and Lee — and composed songs that became standards: "I Hear You Knocking," "One Night," "Witchcraft." He also wrote the original "My Ding-a-Ling," later a million-seller for Chuck Berry. He lived to 100, dying in June 2019 — one of the last living links to rock's birth.

Bartholomew was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer in 1991, a recognition that barely scratches the surface of his contributions. He was the sound of New Orleans R&B.