Biography

The Crown Prince of Dance, Rufus Thomas is one of the most significant figures in Memphis music history, and is also an important contributor to the development of early rock & roll, classic Southern soul, and funk. Thomas began singing in the 1940s and made his name as a radio DJ in Memphis before recording the classic Sun Records side "Bear Cat." Thomas signed on with the legendary Stax Records in the early '60s where he released a series of fun yet hard-hitting soul records, many of which--"Do the Funky Chicken," "Do the Penguin," "Walking the Dog"--were directives for the latest dance crazes. Although Thomas was a genial entertainer, he was also one mean soulster, a reputation he upheld dutifully until his death in 2001.

Top Tracks

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• Bear Cat

• Bear Cat (aka Hound Dog)

• Bear Cat (the Answer To Hound Dog)

• Bear Cat [the Answer To Hound Dog]

• Beer Bottle Boogie

• Can Your Monkey Do The Dog

• Crazy About You Baby

• Do The Funky Chicken

• Do The Funky Penguin, Pt. 1

• Double Trouble

• I Want To Hold You

• Jump Back

• Rufus Rastus Johnson Brown

• Sixty Minute Man

• The Breakdown, Pt. 1

• The World Is Round

• Tiger Man (king Of The Jungle)

• Walking The Dog

• Who's That Chick

Discography

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• Rufus Live

  Ecko Records

  1998

• Funky Chicken

  Stax

  1997

• Blues Thang!

  Sequel

  1996

• Rufus Thomas Live!

  Stax

  1995

• That Woman Is Poison!

  Alligator Records

  1988

• If There Were No Music

  Avid

  1977

• I Ain't Gettin' Older, I'm Gettin' Better

  Avid

  1977

• Did You Heard Me?

  Stax

  1971

• Doing the Push and Pull Live at P.J.'s

  1971

• Five on Eight

  Cameo

  1963