Rufus Thomas(1917-2001)
- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Born on March 26, 1917, in Cayce, Mississippi, R&B and blues legend
Rufus Thomas began his career in the 1930s as a comedian with the
Rabbit Foot Minstrels. In the 1940s he was a DJ on Memphis' WDIA radio,
one of the few black-owned stations of that time. His talent shows
influenced the careers of such R&B greats as
Ike Turner,
Bobby Bland and
B.B. King. In the 1950s he recorded with
Sam Phillips' Sun Records, and in
the 1960s he and daughter
Carla Thomas were part of the
Stax label. His biggest hits have been dance/novelty tunes, such as
"Walking the Dog." The 1970s brought disco and Thomas contributed "Do
the Funky Chicken."
