Rufus Thomas

Rufus Thomas
Thomas in 1972
Background information
Birth name	Rufus C. Thomas, Jr.
Also known as	Mr. Swing
Born	(1917-03-26)March 26, 1917 Cayce, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	December 15, 2001(2001-12-15) (aged 84) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres	R&B southern soul blues dance funk
Occupations	Singer songwriter dancer comedian television host disc jockey
Years active	1936–1998
Labels	Chess Sun Stax AVI

Rufus C. Thomas, Jr. (March 26, 1917 – December 15, 2001)^[1][2][3] 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. His dance records, including "Walking the Dog" (1963), "Do the Funky Chicken" (1969), and "(Do the) Push and Pull" (1970), were some of his most successful songs. 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."^[4]

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.