Rufus Thomas
Encyclopedia
Rufus Thomas, Jr. was an American rhythm and blues
, funk
and soul
singer and comedian
from
Memphis
, Tennessee
, who recorded on Sun Records
in the
1950s and on Stax Records
in the 1960s and 1970s. He was the father of soul singer Carla Thomas
and keyboard player Marvell Thomas
. A third child, Vaneese, a former French teacher, has a recording studio in upstate New York and sings for television commercials.
, Thomas moved to Memphis with his family at age 2. His mother was “a church woman.” Thomas made his artistic debut at the age of 6 playing a frog in a school theatrical production. Much later in life, he would impersonate all kinds of animals: screeching cats, funky chickens and penguins, and mournful dogs. By age 10, he was a tap dancer, performing in amateur productions at Memphis' Booker T. Washington
High School.
Thomas attended one semester at Tennessee A&I University
, but due to economic conditions left to pursue a career as a professional entertainer, joining up in 1936 with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, an all-black revue that toured the South. He then worked for twenty-two years at a textile plant and didn't leave that job until about 1963, around the time of his “Dog” hits. He started at WDIA in 1951 (despite biographies placing his start a year earlier). At WDIA, he hosted an afternoon show called Hoot and Holler. WDIA, featuring an African-American format, was known as "the mother station of the Negroes" and became an important source of blues and R&B music for a generation, its audience consisting of white as well as black listeners. Thomas's mentor was Nat D. Williams, a pioneer black deejay at WDIA
as well as Thomas's high school history teacher, columnist for black newspapers, and host of an amateur show at Memphis's Palace Theater. For years Thomas himself took hosting duties for the amateur show and, in that capacity, is credited with the discovery of B.B. King.
on Beale Street
in Memphis, filling in for another singer at the last minute. He made his first 78 rpm record in 1943 for the Star Talent label in Texas, "I'll Be a Good Boy", backed with "I'm So Worried."
He also became a long-standing on-air personality with WDIA
, one of the first radio stations in the US to feature an all-black staff and programming geared toward blacks. His celebrity was such that in 1953 he recorded an "answer record" to Big Mama Thornton
's hit, "Hound Dog"
called "Bear Cat" released on Sun Records
. Although the song was the label's first hit, a copyright-infringement suit ensued and nearly bankrupted Sam Phillips
' record label. Later, Rufus was one of the African American artists released by Sam Phillips as he oriented his label more toward white audiences and signed the likes of Elvis Presley.
The prime of Rufus' recording career came in the 1960s and early 1970s, when he was on the roster of Memphis label, Stax, having one of the first hit sides at the historic soul and blues label, "Walking the Dog", (#5 R&B, #10 Pop) in 1963. Rufus is thus the first, and still the only, father to debut in the Hot 100's top 10 after his daughter debuted there. Rufus' daughter Carla also reached #10, with "Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes)" on 27 March 1961.
At Stax, Rufus recorded songs when he had something to record. He was often backed by Booker T. and the MG's or the Bar-Kays.
The early 1970s brought him three major hits, including "(Do The) Push and Pull
" in 1970, his only number one R&B hit (#25 Pop). Earlier that year, "Do the Funky Chicken" had reached #5 R&B and #28 Pop. A third dance-oriented release in 1971, "The Breakdown" climbed to #2 R&B and #31 Pop. He had several more less successful hits until Stax closed its doors in the mid-70s.
Late in his career, for years, Rufus performed at the Porretta Soul Festival
in Porretta Terme
, Italy. The outdoor amphitheater in which he performed has been re-named "Rufus Thomas Park." In 1996, Rufus and William Bell headlined at the Olympics in Atlanta. Highlights of his career included calming an unruly crowd at the Wattstax Festival in 1972 and performing with James Brown's band.
He played an important part in the Stax reunion of 1988, and had a small role in the 1989 Jim Jarmusch film Mystery Train. Rufus released an album of straight-ahead blues, That Woman is Poison!, with Alligator Records in 1990. In 1997, Rufus released an album, "Rufus Live!," with Ecko Records.
Thomas was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame
in 2001. He was interviewed by the public radio program American Routes
(aired in February 2002). His last appearance was in the D.A. Pennebaker-directed documentary Only the Strong Survive (2003) in which he co-stars with his daughter Carla.
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer and comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
from
Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, who recorded on Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
in the
1950s and on Stax Records
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
in the 1960s and 1970s. He was the father of soul singer Carla Thomas
Carla Thomas
Carla Thomas is an American singer, who is often referred to as the Queen of Memphis Soul. She is the daughter of Rufus Thomas.-Childhood:...
and keyboard player Marvell Thomas
Marvell Thomas
Marvell Thomas is an American keyboardist known for his work in Memphis Soul and son of the man dubbed "Memphis's other King", Rufus Thomas. His sister Carla Thomas was known as the Memphis Queen after her breakthrough hit "Gee Whiz."...
. A third child, Vaneese, a former French teacher, has a recording studio in upstate New York and sings for television commercials.
Early life and education
Born a sharecropper's son in the rural community of Cayce, MississippiCayce, Mississippi
Cayce is an unincorporated community in Marshall County, Mississippi. Although Cayce is an unincorporated community, it has a business district and shares a ZIP code with Byhalia, Mississippi of 38611...
, Thomas moved to Memphis with his family at age 2. His mother was “a church woman.” Thomas made his artistic debut at the age of 6 playing a frog in a school theatrical production. Much later in life, he would impersonate all kinds of animals: screeching cats, funky chickens and penguins, and mournful dogs. By age 10, he was a tap dancer, performing in amateur productions at Memphis' Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington
Booker Taliaferro Washington was an American educator, author, orator, and political leader. He was the dominant figure in the African-American community in the United States from 1890 to 1915...
High School.
Thomas attended one semester at Tennessee A&I University
Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University is a land-grant university located in Nashville, Tennessee. TSU is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennessee.-History:...
, but due to economic conditions left to pursue a career as a professional entertainer, joining up in 1936 with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, an all-black revue that toured the South. He then worked for twenty-two years at a textile plant and didn't leave that job until about 1963, around the time of his “Dog” hits. He started at WDIA in 1951 (despite biographies placing his start a year earlier). At WDIA, he hosted an afternoon show called Hoot and Holler. WDIA, featuring an African-American format, was known as "the mother station of the Negroes" and became an important source of blues and R&B music for a generation, its audience consisting of white as well as black listeners. Thomas's mentor was Nat D. Williams, a pioneer black deejay at WDIA
WDIA
WDIA is an AM radio station in Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States of America. Its radio frequency is 1070 kHz. In 1962 it became the first U.S. radio station programmed by African-Americans, though its ownership was white.-History:...
as well as Thomas's high school history teacher, columnist for black newspapers, and host of an amateur show at Memphis's Palace Theater. For years Thomas himself took hosting duties for the amateur show and, in that capacity, is credited with the discovery of B.B. King.
Professional singing career
He made his professional singing debut at the Elks ClubBenevolent and Protective Order of Elks
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868...
on Beale Street
Beale Street
Beale Street is a street in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, which runs from the Mississippi River to East Street, a distance of approximately . It is a significant location in the city's history, as well as in the history of the blues. Today, the blues clubs and restaurants that line Beale Street are...
in Memphis, filling in for another singer at the last minute. He made his first 78 rpm record in 1943 for the Star Talent label in Texas, "I'll Be a Good Boy", backed with "I'm So Worried."
He also became a long-standing on-air personality with WDIA
WDIA
WDIA is an AM radio station in Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States of America. Its radio frequency is 1070 kHz. In 1962 it became the first U.S. radio station programmed by African-Americans, though its ownership was white.-History:...
, one of the first radio stations in the US to feature an all-black staff and programming geared toward blacks. His celebrity was such that in 1953 he recorded an "answer record" to Big Mama Thornton
Big Mama Thornton
Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton was an American rhythm and blues singer and songwriter. She was the first to record the hit song "Hound Dog" in 1952. The song was #1 on the Billboard R&B charts for seven weeks in 1953. The B-side was "They Call Me Big Mama," and the single sold almost two million...
's hit, "Hound Dog"
Hound Dog (song)
"Hound Dog" is a twelve-bar blues written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in 1952. Other early versions illustrate the differences among blues, country, and rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The 1956 remake by Elvis Presley is the best-known...
called "Bear Cat" released on Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
. Although the song was the label's first hit, a copyright-infringement suit ensued and nearly bankrupted Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips
Samuel Cornelius Phillips , better known as Sam Phillips, was an American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s...
' record label. Later, Rufus was one of the African American artists released by Sam Phillips as he oriented his label more toward white audiences and signed the likes of Elvis Presley.
The prime of Rufus' recording career came in the 1960s and early 1970s, when he was on the roster of Memphis label, Stax, having one of the first hit sides at the historic soul and blues label, "Walking the Dog", (#5 R&B, #10 Pop) in 1963. Rufus is thus the first, and still the only, father to debut in the Hot 100's top 10 after his daughter debuted there. Rufus' daughter Carla also reached #10, with "Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes)" on 27 March 1961.
At Stax, Rufus recorded songs when he had something to record. He was often backed by Booker T. and the MG's or the Bar-Kays.
The early 1970s brought him three major hits, including "(Do The) Push and Pull
(Do The) Push and Pull
" Push and Pull " is a 1970 single by singer Rufus Thomas. This was the first and only number-one song for Thomas, who had first hit the R&B chart in 1953. The song was at the top of the Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles chart for two weeks in February 1971...
" in 1970, his only number one R&B hit (#25 Pop). Earlier that year, "Do the Funky Chicken" had reached #5 R&B and #28 Pop. A third dance-oriented release in 1971, "The Breakdown" climbed to #2 R&B and #31 Pop. He had several more less successful hits until Stax closed its doors in the mid-70s.
Late in his career, for years, Rufus performed at the Porretta Soul Festival
Porretta Soul Festival
The Porretta Soul Festival is a soul music festival that usually takes place in the third week of July in Rufus Thomas Park in Porretta Terme, which in the province of Bologna.-History:...
in Porretta Terme
Porretta Terme
Porretta Terme is a town and comune in the province of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It is historically a spa town, but it is now also a centre for winter sports....
, Italy. The outdoor amphitheater in which he performed has been re-named "Rufus Thomas Park." In 1996, Rufus and William Bell headlined at the Olympics in Atlanta. Highlights of his career included calming an unruly crowd at the Wattstax Festival in 1972 and performing with James Brown's band.
He played an important part in the Stax reunion of 1988, and had a small role in the 1989 Jim Jarmusch film Mystery Train. Rufus released an album of straight-ahead blues, That Woman is Poison!, with Alligator Records in 1990. In 1997, Rufus released an album, "Rufus Live!," with Ecko Records.
Thomas was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame
Blues Hall of Fame
The Blues Hall of Fame is a listing of people who have significantly contributed to blues music. Started in 1980 by the Blues Foundation, it honors those who have performed, recorded, or documented blues.-1980:*Big Bill Broonzy*Willie Dixon*John Lee Hooker...
in 2001. He was interviewed by the public radio program American Routes
American Routes
American Routes is a weekly two-hour public radio program that presents the breadth and depth of the American musical and cultural landscape. Hosted by Nick Spitzer, American Routes is syndicated by 225 stations, with over half a million listeners. It is produced out of New Orleans and distributed...
(aired in February 2002). His last appearance was in the D.A. Pennebaker-directed documentary Only the Strong Survive (2003) in which he co-stars with his daughter Carla.
Death
He died of heart failure in 2001, at the age of 84, at St. Francis Hospital in Memphis. A street is named in his honor, just off Beale Street in Memphis. He is buried next to his wife at the New Park Cemetery in Memphis.Albums
- 1963 Walking The Dog (Stax704)
- 1969 May I Have Your Ticket Please (Stax STS-2022) Unreleased
- 1970 Do The Funky Chicken (Stax STS-2028)
- 1971 Doing The Push and Pull at PJ's (Stax STS-2039)
- 1972 Did You Heard Me? (Stax STS-3004)
- 1972 Crown Prince of Dance (Stax STS-30048)
Singles
- 1962 Can’t Ever Let You Go / It’s Aw’right (Stax126)
- 1963 The Dog / Did You Ever Love A Woman (Stax130)
- 1963 Walking The Dog / Fine And Mellow (Stax140)
- 1963 Walking The Dog / You Said (Stax140) mkII
- 1964 Can Your Monkey Do The Dog / I Wanna Get Married (Stax144)
- 1964 Somebody Stole My Dog / I Want To Be Loved (Stax149)
- 1964 Jump Back / All Night Worker (Stax157)
- 1965 Little Sally Walker / Baby Walk (Stax167)
- 1965 Willy Nilly / Sho’gonna Mess Him Up (Stax173)
- 1965 The World Is Round / Chicken Scratch (Stax178)
- 1966 Sister’s Got A Boyfriend / Talking ‘Bout True Love (Stax200)
- 1967 Sophisticated Sissy / Greasy Spoon (Stax221)
- 1967 Down Ta’ My House / Steady Holding On (Stax240)
- 1967 The Memphis Train / I Think I Made A Boo Boo (Stax250)
- 1968 Funky Mississippi / Hard To Get Along With (Stax0010)
- 1968 Funky Way / I Want To Hold You (Stax0022)
- 1969 Do The Funky Chicken / Turn Your Damper Down (Stax0059)
- 1970 The Preacher And The Bear / 60 Minute Man (Stax0071)
- 1970 (Do The) Push And Pull Part 1 / Part 2 (Stax0079)
- 1971 The World Is Round / I Love You For Sentimental Reasons (Stax0090)
- 1971 The Breakdown Part 1 / Part 2 (Stax0098)
- 1972 Do The Funky Penguin Part 1 / Part 2 (Stax0112)
- 1972 6-3-8 (That’s The Number To Play) / Love Trap (Stax0129)
- 1972 Itch And Scratch Part 1 / Part 2 (Stax0140)
- 1973 Funky Robot Part 1 / Part 2 (Stax0153)
- 1973 You Don’t Me No More / I’m Still In Love With You (Stax0177)
- 1973 I’ll Be Your Santa Baby / That Makes Christmas Day (Stax0187)
- 1973 The Funky Bird / Steal A Little (Stax0192)
- 1974 Boogie Ain’t Nttin’ Part 1 / Part 2 (Stax0219)
- 1975 Do The Double Bump Part 1 / Part 2 (Stax0236)
- 1976 DJump Back ’75 Part 1 / Part 2 (Stax0254)
External links
- Rufus Thomas Biography at Yahoo.com
- Rufus Thomas Biography at Alligator RecordsAlligator RecordsAlligator Records is a Chicago-based independent blues record label founded by Bruce Iglauer in 1971.Iglauer started the label with his own savings to record and produce his favorite band Hound Dog Taylor & The HouseRockers, whom his employer, Bob Koester of Delmark Records, declined to record...
- http://www.shs.starkville.k12.ms.us/mswm/MSWritersAndMusicians/musicians/ThomasR.html
- http://www.cascadeblues.org/History/RufusThomas.htm
- http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Rufus%20Thomas.html
- http://www.highbridgeaudio.com/americanroutes.html His American Routes interview.
- Porretta Soul Festival