They were joined on the label by a third Thomas, son Marvell who was a session pianist, and while Carla’s career was filled with hits it was Rufus who carved out a niche that took advantage of all aspects of his theatrical background with a string of novelty themed dance crazes, the biggest being “Walking The Dog” in 1963 and “Do The Push And Pull”, his only #1 hit on the R&B Charts in 1971 when he was a few weeks shy of 54 years old. It was here that Thomas became a fixture in the emerging soul and funk provinces of rock, both recording on his own and with daughter Carla who scored Stax’s first smash record on her own with a song she wrote as a sixteen year old called “Gee Whiz”. Admitting he wasn’t much of a singer – though far better than his own appraisal – he knew music gave him more opportunities in other ways and cut his first sides as the 1950’s dawned on the small Star Talent label out of Texas, mainly just to see his name on a record.Ī few years later when Sun Records opened its doors in Memphis it was Thomas who scored the company’s first hit with “Bear Cat”, but Sam Phillips seemed to lose interest in Thomas rather quickly and it’d be another seven years before Thomas made an impact on the national scene again, this time when another legendary Memphis label called Stax went into business. In 1949 WDIA became the first radio station in the South to make the switch to an all-black on-air staff and Thomas began as a dee-jay, a job he’d also hold throughout his music career while simultaneously charting hits himself.Īt the start his own musical aspirations were somewhat limited. Though his primary job for most of his career was tending to boilers in a factory he nevertheless ardently pursued a concurrent career as an entertainer, getting his start in minstrel shows mostly as a comedian, establishing the successful team of Rufus & Bones, seguing into a long stint as the MC at amateur shows at The Palace Theater. was born in Mississippi in 1917, moving to Memphis as a child. One of the most improbable and longest lasting stars in rock and in more ways than one the patriarch of Memphis rock ‘n’ roll, Rufus Thomas Jr.
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