Rufus Thomas, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Rufus Thomas

1917-2001 American singer

Date of Birth: 26-Mar-1917

Place of Birth: Cayce, South Carolina, United States

Date of Death: 15-Dec-2001

Profession: actor, singer

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Aries

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 .
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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.