D. J. Fontana Net Worth, Income, Salary, Earnings, Biography

Dominic Joseph Fontana (born March 15, 1931, in Shreveport, Louisiana) is an American musician best known for his 14-year stint as the drummer for Elvis Presley. He is best recognised for his work with the King of Rock and Roll. He appeared on more than 460 RCA recordings with Elvis. He was known by his stage handle “D. J.” and was hired by the Louisiana Hayride to work as an in-house drummer on their Saturday night radio show. In October 1954, he was recruited to play drums for Elvis Presley, marking the beginning of a fifteen-year collaboration between the two musicians. He appeared on the NBC television programme known as the ’68 Comeback Special,’ in which he sang a number of songs. Fontana joined a group known as “The Blue Moon Boys,” which was initially formed by Sam Phillips without a drummer and consisted of Scotty Moore (lead guitar), Bill Black (bass), and Elvis Presley (rhythm guitar). The group was previously known as “The Blue Moon Boys.” The Jordanaires would go on to perform and record the overwhelming majority of Elvis Presley’s biggest successes of the 1950s, including “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” and “Jailhouse Rock,” with the Jordanaires providing piano and backup vocals on several of them. Additionally, the band travelled extensively and made performances on many television shows, notably the Ed Sullivan Show, throughout the years 1956 and 1957. At the Hayride, I discovered the importance of simplicity. I was listening to Scotty, Bill, and Elvis one night and realised that I couldn’t possibly screw up that sound. That’s why I constantly play according to my emotions. If it doesn’t work, I’m not going to bother trying again. I believe that my straightforward approach is a result of my exposure to so much large band music. I threw up some rockabilly for good measure. Even though the band officially disbanded in 1958, Fontana and Elvis continued to perform and record together on a regular basis throughout the 1960s and beyond. Moore would sometimes accompany them. Together with Paul McCartney, Moore and Fontana recorded the song “That’s All Right (Mama)” in 2002, which became a hit in the United Kingdom. After 1958, Black was no longer a member of the band, and he passed away in 1965. His years spent performing with Presley were chronicled in a book in photographic form titled “D. J. Fontana Remembers Elvis” that was released in 1983. The first episode of Fontana’s Life and Times weekly phonecast aired on July 3, 2007. It has been established that Fontana was a pioneer in the genre, and this has been acknowledged by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. On January 14, 2009, he was officially inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Fontana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the sidemen category on April 4, 2009, the same day he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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