Floyd Domino is an American musician known for his work in the genre of
Western swing
Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands. It is dance music, often with an up-tempo beat, which attracted huge crowds to dance ...
.
Biography

Born a native of California, Domino was introduced to Western swing by way of the musicians who had migrated from Texas and Oklahoma in the 1930s and 1940s. Floyd's close association with Western swing coincided with joining
Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel is an American Western swing group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and is based in Austin, Texas. The band has won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception, released over twenty albums, and has charted mor ...
at the age of 19. After 7 years with Asleep at the Wheel, he is now an "AATW Alumnus" who still joins them for featured performances. While Floyd is widely recognized for his years with Asleep at the Wheel and the revival of Western swing, Floyd began his career with a broad grounding in
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...
,
boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, developed in African-American communities since 1870s.Paul, Elliot, ''That Crazy American Music'' (1957), Chapter 10, p. 229. It was eventually extended from pia ...
,
swing
Swing or swinging may refer to:
Apparatus
* Swing (seat), a hanging seat that swings back and forth
* Pendulum, an object that swings
* Russian swing, a swing-like circus apparatus
* Sex swing, a type of harness for sexual intercourse
* Swing rid ...
and
blues piano
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afri ...
. He regularly performs as Floyd Domino Jazz Trio showcasing a unique blend of jazz and
blues. Other performances include work with
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of '' Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and ''Stardust'' (1978 ...
,
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler.
Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled ...
,
George Strait
George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait is considered one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time. In the 1980s, he was credited fo ...
,
The Texas Playboys
James Robert Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although ...
,
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music.
Jennings started playing guitar at the age of eight and performed at age f ...
, jazz guitarist
Herb Ellis
Mitchell Herbert Ellis (August 4, 1921 – March 28, 2010), known professionally as Herb Ellis, was an American jazz guitarist. During the 1950s, he was in a trio with pianist Oscar Peterson.
Biography
Born in Farmersville, Texas, and raise ...
,
Kelly Willis
Kelly may refer to:
Art and entertainment
* Kelly (Kelly Price album)
* Kelly (Andrea Faustini album)
* ''Kelly'' (musical), a 1965 musical by Mark Charlap
* "Kelly" (song), a 2018 single by Kelly Rowland
* ''Kelly'' (film), a 1981 Canadi ...
,
Bruce Robison
Bruce Ben Robison (born June 11, 1966) is an American, Austin-based Texas country music singer-songwriter. Bruce and his brother, fellow singer-songwriter Charlie Robison, grew up in Bandera, Texas, near San Antonio, and he currently reside ...
, Monte Warden,
Don Walser, jazz vocalist
Donna Hightower, and the Crickets.
In addition to a career encompassing live performances, recording (both solo and with a host of legendary performers), Floyd has contributed to promoting
American roots music
The term American folk music encompasses numerous music genres, variously known as ''traditional music'', ''traditional folk music'', ''contemporary folk music'', ''vernacular music,'' or ''roots music''. Many traditional songs have been sung ...
through his appearances at schools, camps and other learning organizations. Between his touring, recording and major performances, Floyd plays clubs, private events and contributes his talents to further roots music appreciation
Awards list
*1978 Grammy : Count Basie's One O'Clock Jump Asleep at the Wheel (Instrumental)
*2000 Top Ten Austin Theatre Critics' Table Award for Musical Direction The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Austin Stages)
*2000 Grammy: Best Country Instrumental Featured Artist with Asleep at the Wheel Bob's Breakdown Asleep at the Wheel 's recording Ride With Bob
*2002 "Instrumentalist of the Year"
Academy of Western Artists
The Academy of Western Artists, based in Gene Autry, Oklahoma, is an organization that honors individuals who have preserved and perpetuated the heritage of the American cowboy, through rodeo, music, poetry, campfire and chuckwagon cooking, and w ...
Will Rogers Award (2002
*2004 Cowtown Society of Western Music (2004 "Heroes of Western Music"" Living Hero Floyd Domino
*2006 Top Ten Austin Best Keyboards Award
*2007 Top Ten Austin Best Keyboards Award
*2008 Top Ten Austin Best Keyboards Award
*2009 Top Ten Austin Best Keyboards Award
*2009 Austin Best Keyboards Award
*2017 Inductee, Texas Music Legends Hall of Fame
CD list
Appearing on over 50 top CDs plus 5 foreign releases
Appears on
mports''
Children's music
Musical direction
*Musical Director, Austin: Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Domino, Floyd
American country pianists
American male pianists
Asleep at the Wheel members
Living people
21st-century American pianists
21st-century American male musicians
Year of birth missing (living people)
The Strangers (American band) members