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Rufus Thomas, Jr. (March 27, 1917 – December 15, 2001) 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.

Born a sharecropper's son in the rural community of Cayce, Mississippi, 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.

He made his professional singing debut at the Elks Club 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.[1][2]

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 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 daughter Carla.

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)


01. Do The Funky Chicken
02. Let The Good Times Roll
03. Sixty Minute Man
04. Looking For A Love
05. Bearcat
06. Old MacDonald Had A Farm (Part I)
07. Old MacDonald Had A Farm (Part II)
08. Rufus Rastus Johnson Brown
09. Soul Food
10. Turn Your Damper Down
11. Preacher And The Bear
12. Funky Way
13. Funky Mississippi
14. Itch And Scratch
15. Boogie Ain't Nuttin' (But Gettin' Down)