[2] After only one recording there, Thomas was one of the African-American artists released by Phillips,[2] as he oriented his label more toward white audiences and signed Elvis Presley, who later recorded Thomas's song "Tiger Man". Thomas began performing in traveling tent shows. Thomas, strangely, would make only one other record for Sun, and recorded only sporadically throughout the rest of the 1950s. The collapse of the Stax label in the mid-'70s meant the end of his career, basically, as it did for many other artists with the company. Feel free to contribute!
He moved with his family to Memphis, Tennessee, around 1920. On his own, Rufus wasn't as successful as his daughter, but issued a steady stream of decent dance/novelty singles. Rob Bowman, Soulsville, U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records, Music Sales Group, 1997, pp.195-196. "[14] He also used to lead tours of white teenagers on "midnight rambles" around Beale Street. All Music Biography - Rufus Thomas by Richie Unterberger, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. A new version of Last.fm is available, to keep everything running smoothly, please reload the site. Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004 (1st ed.). [4] His mother was a "church woman". Thomas worked a day job in the American Finishing Company textile bleaching plant, which he continued to do for over 20 years. [7], He played an important part in the Stax reunion of 1988, and appeared in Jim Jarmusch's 1989 film Mystery Train, Robert Altman's 1999 film Cookie's Fortune, and D. A. Pennebaker’s documentary Only the Strong Survive. occupied many important roles in the local scene.". The above biography taken from: All Music Biography - Rufus Thomas by Richie Unterberger.
[12] In 1951 he made his first recordings at Sam Phillips's Sun Studio, for the Chess label, but they were not commercially successful. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Artist Biography (below) by Richie Unterberger. [9] In 1996, he and William Bell headlined at the Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. p.211. Rap,R&B,Rock,and Pop Wiki is a FANDOM Music Community.
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Few of rock & roll's founding figures are as likable as Rufus Thomas. In 2001, Rufus Thomas was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. Thomas drew upon his vaudeville background to put them over on-stage with fancy footwork that displayed remarkable agility for a man well into his 50s. The recording was produced by Al Bell and Tom Nixon, and used the Bar-Kays, featuring guitarist Michael Toles. 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. [6][8] The record's success led to Stax gaining production and distribution deal with the much larger Atlantic Records. He also ran talent shows on Memphis' famous Beale Street that helped showcase the emerging skills of such influential figures as B.B. [5] He received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1992, and a lifetime achievement award from ASCAP in 1997.
[11] He also recorded for the Bullet label in Nashville, Tennessee, when he recorded with Bobby Plater's Orchestra and was credited as "Mr. Thomas continued to work with Bell and Nixon as producers, and later in 1970 had his only number 1 R&B hit, and his highest pop charting record, with another dance song, "Do the Push and Pull". . [12], In 1960 he made his first recordings with his 17-year-old daughter Carla, for the Satellite label in Memphis, which changed its name to Stax the following year. He remained active into the 1990s and as a performer and recording artist was often billed as "The World's Oldest Teenager". Carla Thomas, Marvell Thomas, Vaneese Thomas 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. In 1972, he featured in the Wattstax concert, and he had several further, less successful, hits before Stax collapsed in 1976. Thomas used to introduce his shows saying, "I'm young, I'm loose, I'm full of juice, I got the goose so what's the use. [4] He also formed a comedy and dancing duo, Rufus and Bones, with Robert "Bones" Couch, and they took over as MCs at the Palace Theater, often presenting amateur hour shows. All user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. [7] In 1936 he joined the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, an all-black revue that toured the South, as a tap dancer and comedian, sometimes part of a duo, Rufus and Johnny. He also became a mentor to younger Stax stars,[2] giving advice on stage moves to performers like Otis Redding, who partnered daughter Carla on record. [5], After "Jump Back" in 1964, the hits dried up for several years, as Stax gave more attention to younger artists and musicians. Thomas hit his commercial peak in the early '70s, when "Do the Funky Chicken," "(Do The) Push and Pull," and "The Breakdown" all made the R&B Top Five. [4] As an established performer in Memphis, aged 33 in 1950, Thomas recorded his first 78 rpm single, for Jesse Erickson's small Star Talent label in Dallas, Texas. Template:Infobox musical artist B. photos, In the '60s, Carla would become one of Stax's biggest stars. However, a copyright-infringement suit brought by Don Robey, the original publisher of "Hound Dog", nearly bankrupted the record label. He was the father of the singers Carla Thomas (with whom he recorded duets) and Vaneese Thomas and the keyboard player Marvell Thomas. [19], As well as recording and appearing on radio and in clubs, Thomas continued to work as a boiler operator in the textile plant, where he claimed the noises sometimes suggested musical rhythms and lyrics to him, before he finally gave up the job in 1963,[4] to focus on his role as a singer and entertainer. 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. In 1998, he hosted two New Year's Eve shows on Beale Street. [22], Template:Carla Thomas [5] Thomas performed regularly at the Porretta Soul Festival in Italy; the outdoor amphitheater in which he performed was later renamed Rufus Thomas Park. [2][5], Thomas continued to record and toured internationally, billing himself as "The World's Oldest Teenager" and describing himself as "the funkiest man alive". 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. Artist descriptions on Last.fm are editable by everyone. Thomas made his debut as a performer at the age of six, playing a frog in a school theatrical production. occupied many important roles in the local scene."[4]. [2][4] Thomas released an album of straight-ahead blues, That Woman is Poison!, with Alligator Records in 1990, featuring saxophonist Noble "Thin Man" Watts. film I never thought of getting rich. However, in 1970 he had another big hit with "Do the Funky Chicken", which reached #5 on the R&B chart, #28 on the pop chart, and #18 in Britain where it was his only chart hit. [5] He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001. ,Bowman Rob Bowman, Soulsville, U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records, Music Sales Group, 1997, pp.43-44. The 1963 follow-up, "Walking the Dog", engineered by Tom Dowd of Atlantic, became one of his most successful records, reaching #10 on the Billboard pop chart. . and more from FamousFix.com, Singer, comedian, television host, disc jockey, R&B, Memphis soul, southern soul, blues, funk, novelty, Soul, Blues, Southern Soul, Memphis Soul, Early R&B, Modern Electric Blues, Electric Memphis Blues, Regional Blues, Party/Celebratory, Amiable/Good-Natured, Playful, Rowdy, Boisterous, Humorous, Bravado, Exuberant, Earthy, Raucous, Energetic, Carla Thomas, Marvell Thomas, Vaneese Thomas, Man in Station (segment "Far from Yokohama").
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