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Rufus Thomas

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Rufus Thomas was born in 1917 in Cayce, Mississippi, and died in 2001 in Memphis. He was a singer, songwriter, dancer, DJ and comedian. He began as a tap dancer and vaudeville performer, appeared in travelling tent shows and in the Rabbit Foot Minstrels and for more than twenty years kept working by day in a textile factory. In the 1940s he wrote and sang his own songs. In 1951 he became a DJ at the radio station WDIA in Memphis, where he presented the afternoon programme Hoot and Holler.

Music and breakthrough

In 1953, at the suggestion of Sam Phillips, he recorded Bear Cat for Sun Records, an answer to Hound Dog by Big Mama Thornton. It became the label's first national hit. Later he became a regular at Stax Records. In 1959 he recorded a duet with his sixteen-year-old daughter Carla Thomas, which began her career. His greatest successes were dance records, such as The Dog and Walking the Dog in 1963, Do the Funky Chicken in 1969 and (Do the) Push and Pull in 1970. The recordings are funky, playful and full of jokes.

Influence

He remained active into the 1990s and was known as The World's Oldest Teenager. In 1988 he took part in the Stax reunion and appeared in films such as Mystery Train. He was the father of Carla and Vaneese Thomas and of the keyboard player Marvell Thomas. In this way he stands between the rhythm and blues of the 1950s and the funk of the 1970s.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Walking the Dog and notice the dog imitations and the bass. Can you hear how he takes the audience along in the dance?

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists