⬇️ RUFUS THOMAS ⬇️
(Rufus C. Thomas, Jr.)
DISCOGRAPHY 1963-2008 (28CD/DVD)
BIOGRAPHY
Rufus C. Thomas, Jr. (March 26, 1917 – December 15, 2001) was an
American rhythm-and-blues, funk, soul and blues singer, songwriter,
dancer, DJ and comic entertainer from Memphis, Tennessee. He recorded
for several labels, including Chess Records and Sun Records in the
1950s, before becoming established in the 1960s and 1970s at Stax
Records.
He is best known for his novelty dance records, including "Walking the
Dog" (1963), "Do the Funky Chicken" (1969) and "(Do the) Push and Pull"
(1970). According to the Mississippi Blues Commission, "Rufus Thomas
embodied the spirit of Memphis music perhaps more than any other artist,
and from the early 1940s until his death . . . occupied many important
roles in the local scene."
He began his career as a tap dancer, vaudeville performer, and master
of ceremonies in the 1930s. He later worked as a disc jockey on radio
station WDIA in Memphis, both before and after his recordings became
successful. He remained active into the 1990s and as a performer and
recording artist was often billed as "The World's Oldest Teenager". He
was the father of the singers Carla Thomas (with whom he recorded duets)
and Vaneese Thomas and the keyboard player Marvell Thomas.
Thomas was born in the rural community of Cayce, Mississippi, the son
of a sharecropper. He moved with his family to Memphis, Tennessee,
around 1920. His mother was a "church woman". Thomas made his debut as a
performer at the age of six, playing a frog in a school theatrical
production. By the age of 10, he was a tap dancer, performing on the
streets and in amateur productions at Booker T. Washington High School,
in Memphis.
From the age of 13, he worked with Nat D. Williams, his high-school
history teacher, who was also a pioneer black DJ at radio station WDIA
and columnist for black newspapers, as a master of ceremonies at talent
shows in the Palace Theater on Beale Street. After graduating from high
school, Thomas attended Tennessee A&I University for one semester,
but economic constraints led him to leave to pursue a career as a
full-time entertainer. ....
(Wikipedia)
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Vol.565 Rufus Thomas (2CD) @FLAC