Fats Domino and Irma Thomas missing!

'Fats' Domino Missing in New Orleans

Thursday, September 01, 2005

By Roger Friedman

New Orleans is a city famous for its famous musicians, but many of them are missing. Missing with a capital M.

To begin with, one of the city’s most important legends, Antoine "Fats" Domino, has not been heard from since Monday afternoon. Domino’s rollicking boogie-woogie piano and deep soul voice are not only part of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame but responsible for dozens of hits like “Blue Monday,” “Ain’t That a Shame,” “Blueberry Hill” and “I’m Walking (Yes, Indeed, I’m Talking).”

Domino, 76, lives with his wife Rosemary and daughter in a three-story pink-roofed house in New Orleans’ 9th ward, which is now under water.

On Monday afternoon, Domino told his manager, Al Embry of Nashville, that he would “ride out the storm” at home. Embry is now frantic.

Calls have been made to Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s office and to various police officials, and though there’s lots of sympathetic response, the whereabouts of Domino and his family remain a mystery.

Also not heard from by friends through last night: New Orleans’s “Queen of Soul” Irma Thomas, who was the original singer of what became the Rolling Stones’ hit, “Time is On My Side.”

Let’s hope and pray it is, because while the Stones roll through the U.S. on their $450-a-ticket tour, Thomas is missing in action. Her club, The Lion’s Den, is under water, as are all the famous music hot spots of the city.

Similarly, friends are looking for Antoinette K-Doe, widow of New Orleans wild performer Ernie K-Doe. The Does have a famous nightspot of their own on N. Claiborne Avenue, called the Mother-in-Law Lounge, in honor of Ernie’s immortal hit, “The Mother-in-Law Song.”

Ernie K-Doe, who received a 1998 Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, died in 2001 at age 65.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/01/katrina.fatsdomino.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest

According to the Rev. Dr. Freelance in another thread

"Here's an update: Antoine "Fats" Domino has reportedly contacted his niece and said he, his wife & daughter were fine."

Also, the wonderful New Orleans writer James Lee Burke is safe--as Will the Thrill put it, "no one is more eloquent about Nawlins history and culture than he is."

Every bit helps...

Rescuers help Fats Domino off a boat after he was rescued August 29 from his New Orleans home.

From CNN.com:

Katrina slams N.O. music scene
Monday, September 5, 2005; Posted: 10:31 a.m. EDT (14:31 GMT)

The scope of the loss and tragedy Katrina caused is clear: It will be years before a locale renowned for its entertainment industry is back to business as usual -- if it ever is again.

For the music industry, the top priority became tracking down the missing. Reports began to surface that Antoine "Fats" Domino, songwriter Allen Toussaint (who penned Patti LaBelle's hit "Lady Marmalade") and others had not been heard from since Katrina touched down.

On Friday, Domino, the 76-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, and his family were reported safe, having been rescued by boat from floodwaters near their New Orleans home. Toussaint was rumored to have been taken to the Superdome and has since made it to New York City. Irma Thomas made it out.

As of Friday, former Box Tops and Big Star musician Alex Chilton was unaccounted for; so were Frankie Ford and Clarence "Frogman" Henry.

The Neville Brothers, long associated with New Orleans, were fine, but as of Friday Charles Neville could not locate his three daughters.

But it was not just well-known musicians who were missing or displaced. The Gulf Coast, and in particular the New Orleans region, is also home to a thriving community of local musicians who make a living playing jazz, zydeco and Cajun music, especially for tourists.

"I just can't get ahold of anyone," said Jonno Frishberg, a 45-year-old fiddler who earns his livelihood playing Cajun music gigs. "You're talking about a whole community of musicians like me, with no unemployment insurance and no way to make a living." Frishberg and his wife and two children are all safe. "If I didn't have kids, I'd be looking to head far away from here," he says. "I'll still have to go on the road to make a living. I'm just looking for a way to feed my family."

Music chains assume the worst
On Wednesday evening retail music chains were still scrambling to learn of their employees' well-being, while wholesalers said they had not been able to get through to check on their independent accounts.

"We are in contact with our management team there, but we are still trying to track down our employees," Tower Records senior VP of operations Bill Duffy said. "We have heard from about half of them."

Phone calls to independent stores in New Orleans; Biloxi, Mississippi; and Mobile, Alabama, either went unanswered or offered only a busy signal.

"We have been unable to get through to any stores in New Orleans," Super D indie sales manager Mark Grindle reported. "We don't know how they are."

As for the retail locations themselves, executives contacted by Billboard were assuming the worst: that the stores were flooded, with massive damage to merchandise.

The shape of live entertainment in the region will be affected for months, if not permanently.

Among the large venues in the region hit by Katrina are the Superdome, New Orleans Arena and Keifer UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans; the Cajundome in Lafayette, La.; the RiverCenter in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi; the Mitchell Center and Mobile Civic Center in Mobile, Alabama; the Pensacola (Florida) Civic Center; and the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast casino market.

Home to dozens of thriving music venues, New Orleans is also home to promoters Beaver Productions and Superfly Presents, as well as the site of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the flagship House of Blues club. "We believe everyone is safe," HOB's Kevin Morrow said; as of Wednesday, his club was still dry. "We are looking to relocate some people until we can figure out how long it will be till we can start operations again," Morrow said.

"It's going to be a long road," said Don Fox, president of Beaver Productions. "There won't be any concerts in New Orleans for a while, at least three to six months."

Benefit shows

Many in the music industry not directly affected by the hurricane set about to assist the victims. Some of the higher-profile efforts included a September 12 Dave Matthews benefit concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver; a September 10 special on MTV, VH1 and CMT; and "A Concert for Hurricane Relief," an hourlong TV special scheduled that aired Friday on NBC, MSNBC and CNBC, featuring Tim McGraw, Harry Connick Jr., Wynton Marsalis and others. (Information: How you can help)

CNN aired a three-hour program promoting assistance for Kristina victims on Saturday (see story), and several networks are teaming up for a huge fund-raiser on the scale of the "America: A Tribute to Heroes" program in 2001. (Networks set Friday for Katrina telethon)

"Our city will come back, but it will take the entire country," Marsalis said. "When you take New Orleans from America, our soul equation goes down."

Marsalis and special guests will highlight the Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Concert, to take place September 17 at Rose Theater in New York. The event will be recorded by Jazz at Lincoln Center. A CD from the event will be released by Blue Note Records with all profits going to relief funds.

Putumayo World Music is also donating proceeds from the sale of two records, "New Orleans," and "Mississippi Blues," to relief efforts, through year's end.

In the digital realm, Napster began selling a "Download to Donate" compilation September 1, with profits going to the American Red Cross. CD Baby, where thousands of independent artists sell their music online, set up a special page to sell CDs from those who wanted their profits to go to the Red Cross.

And on radio, Clear Channel stations are airing PSAs directing listeners to stormaid.com, where they can make donations to the American Red Cross. In addition, Clear Channel Entertainment is organizing benefit concerts and collection drives.

In New York, the rapper Juvenile broke down at a Thursday press conference announcing a September 9 telethon on BET. Juvenile lost his house in New Orleans and had yet to locate certain family members. The clothes he wore had to be purchased by his publicist, and his label, Atlantic, had been wiring money to his family, who lost everything in the floods. "Like the effort we put towards war and the tsunami," a red-eyed Juvenile said, "We need to put forth the same effort to saving our own country."

Master P, rapper and head of the label No Limit, was also at the press conference, and also lost a home. Master P launched the organization Team Rescue (teamrescueone.com) to get supplies to those left in New Orleans.

And while the various factions of the robust New Orleans hip-hop scenes had been competitive in the past, Master P said he plans to do an album and tour with members of the Cash Money label and Juvenile. "It ain't about No Limit or Cash Money," Master P said. "It's about New Orleans. We'll do whatever we have to do for our people."

Copyright 2005 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Also, on the Rebirth Brass Band Fan Forums there's a listing of all the New Orleans band musicians that they've located.

Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Freelance, Ph.D., D.F.S

[ Edited by: freddiefreelance 2005-09-07 07:19 ]

To my brethren and the ones who laughed at me while being evacuated from Ft Lauderdale, Bahia Cabana last year, "When a hurricane is headed towards you, get the fuck out of the way"

Here's a list of N.O. musicians found so far (all those mentioned missing in CNN article are on it except Frankie Ford). Frankie, are you OK?

http://www.southernmusic.net/katrina.html

FOUND LIST

3 Doors Down
Jeff Albert
Kevin Allman
Shamar Allen
Steve Allen
Jim Ankar
Theresa Andersson
Bob Andrews
James "Satchmo of the Ghetto" Andrews
Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews
Johnny Angel
Marcia Ball
Dave Bartholomew
Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes
Rebecca Barry
Dave Bartholomew
Harold Battiste
Jonathan Batiste
Mike Batiste
Russell Batiste
Tab Benoit
Better Than Ezra
Terence Blanchard
Eddie Bo
Bonerama
Big Chief Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias,
Big Chief Monk Boudreaux
John Boutté
Wendell Brunious
Russ Broussard
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
Henry Butler
Grayson Capps
Ricki Castrillo
Alex Chilton
Evan Christopher
Jon Cleary
Harry Connick Jr.
Cowboy Mouth
Susan Cowsill
Davell Crawford
Jack Cruz
Dash Rip Rock
Jeremy Davenport
Theryl "Houseman" DeClouet
Roger Dickerson
Donna's Bar and Grill: (Donna, Charlie, Troy, Margaret)
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Big Chief Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias
Michael Domenici
Fats Domino
Michael Doucet and all of BeauSoleil
Dragon's Den (Masa & Masako)
Dr. John
Snooks Eaglin
Lars Edegran
Nancy Edwards
Charlie Fardela
Jack Fine
Pat Flory
John Fohl
Andy Forrest
Gina Forsyth
Pete Fountain
Derrick Freeman
Jonathan Freilich
Peter Fuller
Funky Meters
Galactic
Steve Goodson
Tim Green
John "Papa" Gros and the whole Papa Grows Funk band
James Hall
Corey Harris
Leigh "Little Queenie" Harris
Clarence "Frogman" Henry
Corey Henry
Faith Hill
Andi Hoffman
Peter Holsapple
The Hot Club of New Orleans
The Iguanas
Burke Ingraffia
Benny Jones Sr
Leroy Jones
Kirk Joseph
Juvenile
Antoinette K-Doe
Sheebie Kimbrough
Chris Thomas King
Joe Krown
Julia LaShae
Tim Laughlin
Washboard Chaz Leary
Bryan Lee
David Leonard & Roselyn Lionheart (David & Roselyn)
Herman Leonard
Lil' Rascals Brass Band
Eric Lindell
Jeremy Lyons
Ronald Markham
Branford Marsalis
Delfeayo Marsalis
Dolores Marsalis
Ellis Marsalis
Jason Marsalis
Wynton Marsalis
Master P
Irvin Mayfield
Tom McDermott
Tim McGraw
Humberto "Pupi" Menez
Charlie Miller
Charles Louie Moore
Tom Morgan
Chris Mule
Kenny Neal
The Neville Brothers
Charmaine Neville
Ivan Neville
Carlo Nuccio
Anders Osborne
Earl Palmer
Panorama Jazz Band
Joshua Paxton
Michael Pearce
Dave Pirner
George Porter Jr.
Preservation Hall (most musicians and staff)
The Radiators
Jan V. Ramsey & most of OffBeat Magazine staff
Rebirth Brass Band (all members)
Marcus Roberts
Coco Robicheaux
Rockin' Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters
Rockin' Jake
John Rodli
Biff Rose
George Rossi
Wanda Rouzan
Dixie Rubin
Kermit Ruffins
Scott Saltzman
Mark Samuels
Will Samuels
Ben Sandmel
Jumpin' Johnny Sansone
Alexandra Scott
Mem Shannon and the Membership
Derek Shezbie
James Singleton
Johnny Sketch
Michael Skinkus
Robert Snow
Nick Spitzer & family
Steamboat Willie
Brian Stoltz
Marc Stone
Bill Summers
Ken Swartz
the subdudes
Irma Thomas
Allen Toussaint
Tremé Brass Band (Uncle Lionel?)
Rick Trolsen
Johnny Vidacovich
Rob Wagner
Mark Walton
Washboard Lisa and Roberto
Walter "Wolfman" Washington
Melissa Weber
Mike West
Dr. Michael White
Marva Wright
Linnzi Zaorski
Zydepunks

[ Edited by: thejab 2005-09-07 11:11 ]

On 2005-09-07 11:05, thejab wrote:
Russ Broussard
Susan Cowsill
Peter Holsapple
Carlo Nuccio

I forgot that the Continental Drifters moved to Nawlins from Raji's Tueday nights. It's good to see that they're OK. But I don't see Vicki Peterson, doesn't she still live there? And what about Ray Ganucheau?

Frankie Ford is alive and well and on tour.

Thanks for posting that list. I heard that Alex Chilton was unaccounted for for a short time. Good to hear that he's safe as well as all the others.

I heard that fabled jazz club Preservation Hall is okay; longtime owner Ben Jaffe rode out the storm, too, but finally did evacuate.

He's set up a relief fund for the city's musicians at http://www.preservationhall.com; money will be made through the sale of t-shirts bearing the name of Louis Armstrong's song "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?"

I plan to buy one...

Whole article's here

On 2005-09-08 08:24, tikivixen wrote:
I heard that fabled jazz club Preservation Hall is okay; longtime owner Ben Jaffe rode out the storm, too, but finally did evacuate.

I still worry about the fate of historic places like this now that most people have left, because of the potential for looting and vandalism. Most of the French Quarter was spared from the flooding but I heard that few soldiers are guarding the buildings.

Jab, I expect many of the smaller clubs won't make it in New New Orleans, I expect to see a Disneyfication of the town, with the corporate places making things "safer" (read: cleaning up the older, interesting places and making things nice & bland) for the cash carrying public. The HoB will make their place bigger, BB King's place will move in, Clear Channel will control more venues, etc., etc.

On 2005-09-07 11:43, freddiefreelance wrote:

On 2005-09-07 11:05, thejab wrote:
Russ Broussard
Susan Cowsill
Peter Holsapple
Carlo Nuccio

I forgot that the Continental Drifters moved to Nawlins from Raji's Tueday nights. It's good to see that they're OK. But I don't see Vicki Peterson, doesn't she still live there? And what about Ray Ganucheau?

Vicki Peterson is living in Los Angeles with her husband, John Cowsill, brother of Susan Cowsill. However, Susan's brother Barry is still missing following Katrina. If anyone has any info on Barry please contact his family at [email protected].

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown

Died after having evacuated. He was in poor health before the Hurricane. Once evacuated, his health deteriorated rapidly.

Vicki Peterson is living in Los Angeles with her husband, John Cowsill, brother of Susan Cowsill. However, Susan's brother Barry is still missing following Katrina. If anyone has any info on Barry please contact his family at [email protected].

From the Cowsills web site yesterday:

Today Barry left two messages on Susan's voicemail. He's obviously alive, but he's alone. He spent some time on the top floor of a warehouse during the storm but now he's outside. He mentioned being reluctant to get on any bus leaving because he thinks they're full of murderers and the dredges of society, etc.. We don't think he knows the scope of this thing down there ... it's very frustrating to not be able to say, "Get on the bus Barry". He said it's been the most sobering experience of his life ... that he still has some supplies but is running out. He called from a payphone. Will keep everyone posted.

On 2005-09-21 21:24, TikiGardener wrote:
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown

Died after having evacuated. He was in poor health before the Hurricane. Once evacuated, his health deteriorated rapidly.

I heard he was devastated because his house in Slidell, LA was completely destroyed by Katrina.

On 2005-09-22 11:19, thejab wrote:

From the Cowsills web site yesterday:

Today Barry left two messages on Susan's voicemail. He's obviously alive, but he's alone. He spent some time on the top floor of a warehouse during the storm but now he's outside. He mentioned being reluctant to get on any bus leaving because he thinks they're full of murderers and the dredges of society, etc.. We don't think he knows the scope of this thing down there ... it's very frustrating to not be able to say, "Get on the bus Barry". He said it's been the most sobering experience of his life ... that he still has some supplies but is running out. He called from a payphone. Will keep everyone posted.

Correct. Barry Left 4 messages on his sister's machine shortly after the storm. There has been no word from him since then. There was a piece about Barry and the family's attempts to locate him on ET last Thursday. More info can be found at http://www.cowsill.com.

On 2005-09-24 11:51, craz3z wrote:

On 2005-09-22 11:19, thejab wrote:

From the Cowsills web site yesterday:

Today Barry left two messages on Susan's voicemail. He's obviously alive, but he's alone. He spent some time on the top floor of a warehouse during the storm but now he's outside. He mentioned being reluctant to get on any bus leaving because he thinks they're full of murderers and the dredges of society, etc.. We don't think he knows the scope of this thing down there ... it's very frustrating to not be able to say, "Get on the bus Barry". He said it's been the most sobering experience of his life ... that he still has some supplies but is running out. He called from a payphone. Will keep everyone posted.

Correct. Barry Left 4 messages on his sister's machine shortly after the storm. There has been no word from him since then. There was a piece about Barry and the family's attempts to locate him on ET last Thursday. More info can be found at http://www.cowsill.com.

Barry Cowsill is found dead:

January 4, 2006: We are deeply saddened to report that Barry's body has been found. The Cowsill family was just informed of this and more information will be posted on the site as it becomes available. We invite you to express your thoughts and post your memories of Barry on our Memorial Book.

Sad news. pics I took in 2002