Rufus Thomas (March 26, 1917 – December 15, 2001) was a rhythm and blues an… Read Full Bio ↴Rufus Thomas (March 26, 1917 – December 15, 2001) was a rhythm and blues and soul singer from Memphis, Tennessee, United States, who recorded on Sun Records in the 1950s and on Stax Records in the 1960s and 1970s. He was the father of soul singer Carla Thomas (best known for the classic song "B-A-B-Y") and keyboard player Marvell Thomas. A third daughter, Vaneese, a former French teacher, for years had a recording studio in upstate New York where she sang for television commercials.

The above biography taken from: Wikipedia - Rufus Thomas

The Crown Prince of Dance; an early rock & roll DJ, Memphis soul icon and creator of the Funky Chicken.

Artist Biography (below) by Richie Unterberger

Few of rock & roll's founding figures are as likable as Rufus Thomas. From the 1940s onward, he has personified Memphis music; his small but witty cameo role in Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train, a film which satirizes and enshrines the city's role in popular culture, was entirely appropriate. As a recording artist, he wasn't a major innovator, but he could always be depended upon for some good, silly, and/or outrageous fun with his soul dance tunes. He was one of the few rock or soul stars to reach his commercial and artistic peak in middle age, and was a crucial mentor to many important Memphis blues, rock, and soul musicians.

Thomas was already a professional entertainer in the mid-'30s, when he was a comedian with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels. He recorded music as early as 1941, but really made his mark on the Memphis music scene as a deejay on WDIA, one of the few black-owned stations of the era. He also ran talent shows on Memphis' famous Beale Street that helped showcase the emerging skills of such influential figures as B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Junior Parker, Ike Turner, and Roscoe Gordon.

Thomas had his first success as a recording artist in 1953 with "Bear Cat," a funny answer record to Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog." It made number three on the R&B charts, giving Sun Records its first national hit, though some of the sweetness went out of the triumph after Sun owner Sam Phillips lost a lawsuit for plagiarizing the original Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller tune. Thomas, strangely, would make only one other record for Sun, and recorded only sporadically throughout the rest of the 1950s.

Thomas and his daughter Carla would become the first stars for the Stax label, for whom they recorded a duet in 1959, "'Cause I Love You" (when the company was still known as Satellite). In the '60s, Carla would become one of Stax's biggest stars. On his own, Rufus wasn't as successful as his daughter, but issued a steady stream of decent dance/novelty singles.

These were not deep or emotional statements, or meant to be. Vaguely prefiguring elements of funk, the accent was on the stripped-down groove and Rufus' good-time vocals, which didn't take himself or anything seriously. The biggest by far was "Walking the Dog," which made the Top Ten in 1963, and was covered by the Rolling Stones on their first album.

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. As the song titles themselves make clear, funk was now driving his sound rather than blues or soul. 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 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. In 2001, Rufus Thomas was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. Later that year, on December 15, he died at St. Francis hospital in Memphis, TN.

The above biography taken from: All Music Biography - Rufus Thomas by Richie Unterberger

Can't Ever Let You Go
Rufus Thomas Lyrics

We have lyrics for these tracks by Rufus Thomas:

'Cause I Love You I done take very best girl of mine, yeah I done…
(Do The) Push and Pull, Part 1 Hey, everybody, Mister Rufus in town Came here to take care…
6-3-8 I woke up early this morning Hand in hand [Incomprehensible]…
Baby It My love is real, my love is real This thing I…
Bear Cat You know what you said about me, don't you woman... Well,…
Bear Cat - Aka Hound Dog You know what you said about me, don′t you woman... Well,…
Beer Bottle Boogie One night I was feeling higher than a kite My poor…
Breakdown Honey, baby, I been told You know how, shake the butter…
Breakdown Part 2 Honey, baby, I been told You know how, shake the butter…

Breakdown, Part 2 Honey, baby, I been told You know how, shake the butter…
Breaking My Back Well I love my baby but my baby don't love…
Can E-I-E-I-O Can your monkey do the dog Can your monkey do Can …
Can You Monkey Do the Dog Can your monkey do the dog, can your monkey do…
Carry Me Back to Old Virginny Carry me back to old Virginny, There's where the cotton and…
Cause I Love You I done take very best girl of mine, yeah I done…
Come Back Baby Well I love my baby but my baby don't love…
Crazy About You Baby Oh yes I'm crazy about you baby Crazy about you baby Crazy…
Decorate the Counter Now here's what you do When you step into this place Spread…
Did You Ever Love a Woman Did you ever love a woman And you loved her with…
Did You Ever Love A Woman? Did you ever love a woman And you loved her with…
Do the Do Y'all come on in now Come right on down front I got…
Do The Dog E-I-E-I-O Can your monkey do the dog Can your monkey do Can …
Do The Funcky Chicken Y'all come on in now Come right on down front I got…
Do The Funky Chichen Y'all come on in now Come right on down front I got…
Do the Funky Chicken Y'all come on in now Come right on down front I got…
Do The Funky Penguin Hey everybody, Mister Rufus is back I've another dance I kno…
Do The Funky Penguin Part 1 Hey everybody, Mister Rufus is back I've another dance I kn…
Do The Push And Pull Hey, everybody, Mister Rufus in town Came here to take care…
Do the Push and Pull Part II Hey, everybody, Mister Rufus in town Came here to take care…
Dog Baby's back, dressed in black Silver buttons all down her ba…
Don't Mess Up A Good Thing Good thing, good thing, good thing You been cheating on me,…
Double Trouble Yes I've got double trouble And I'm blue as I can…
Easy Livin' Plan Don't leave me baby, please don't go Don't leave me baby,…
Funky Chicken Y'all come on in now Come right on down front I got…
Funky Mississippi Everybody expect me to make a new dace I ain't gonna…

Funky Penguin Hey everybody, Mister Rufus is back I've another dance I kno…
Funky Robot Part I Hey everybody, Mister Rufus is back I've another dance I kn…
God Bless America "While the storm clouds gather far across the sea, Let…
Gonna Bring My Baby Back Well I love my baby but my baby don't love…
I I done take very best girl of mine, yeah I done…
I Feel so Worried Well I'm so worried That I don't know what to do Yes…
I'll Be a Good Boy Well me and my baby had a few words last…
I'm Off That Stuff No more whiskey, no more wine No more women, I ain't…
I'm so Worried Well I'm so worried That I don't know what to do Yes…
I'm Steady Holdin' On I've got a new kind of loving That other men can't…
Juanita Juanita, juanita What makes your head so hard Juanita, juani…
Jump Back Last night, night before (jump back baby jump back) 24 robbe…
Land of 1 One, two, three! One, two, three! You gotta know how to po…
Land of 1000 Dances One, two, three! One, two, three! You gotta know how to pony…
Little Sally Walker Little Sally Walker, Sittin' in a saucer Ride, Sally ride W…
Love My Baby Well I love my baby but my baby don't love…
Married Woman I'm just sitting here drinking Trying to drink my blues away…
Memphis Train Woo, woo, woo Train number one is gone Train number two is…
Night Time Is The Right Time You know the night time, darling (night and day) Is the righ…
Night Workin' Blues Well I'm a hard night worker And I work hard every…
No More Doggin Around I ain't gonna be a low down dog no more I…
Ooh Poo Pah Doo Yoh-oh-oh (yoh-oh-oh) yoh-oh-oh (yoh-oh-oh), oh yeah-eah-eah…
Preacher And The Bear A preacher, he went huntin' It was on a Sunday morn' Of…
Push & Pull Part 1 Hey, everybody, Mister Rufus in town Came here to take care…
Push and Pull Hey, everybody, Mister Rufus in town Came here to take care…
Reconsider Baby So long, oh how I hate to see you go So…
Rock me back Carry me back to old Virginny, There's where the cotton and…
Save That Money You'd better save your money Things gonna get tough again Yo…
Sister's Got A Boyfriend Sister's got a boyfriend, daddy's got a shotgun. If they …
Sixty Minute Man Well, listen here, girls, I'm telling you now, They call me…
Sixty Minute Man Part II Well, listen here, girls, I'm telling you now, They call me…
Somebody Somebody stole my dog Last night they did In my house…
Strolling Beale No. 1 I woke up this mornin' Just as blue as I could…
That You'd better save your money Things gonna get tough again Yo…
The Breakdown Honey, baby, I been told You know how, shake the butter…
The Breakdown Part 2 Honey, baby, I been told You know how, shake the butter…
The Breakdown Part I Honey, baby, I been told You know how, shake the butter…
The Breakdown Part II Honey, baby, I been told You know how, shake the butter…
The Breakdown Pt.1 Honey, baby, I been told You know how, shake the butter…
The Dog Baby's back, dressed in black, Silver buttons all down her b…
The Easy Livin' Plan Don't leave me baby, please don't go Don't leave me baby,…
The Funky Penguin Hey everybody, Mister Rufus is back I've another dance I kno…
The Memphis Train Woo, woo, woo Train number one is gone Train number two is…
The Preacher And The Bear A preacher, he went huntin' It was on a Sunday morn' Of…
The World Is Round The world is round But it's crooked just the same, yeah,…
Think Twice Before You Speak Think twice before you go, baby, this will be the…
Tiger Man I'm the king of the jungle, they call me the…
Turn Your Damper Down I smell your bread burning Turn your damper down baby Turn y…
Ugly Like Me Baby, I like what you're doing to me I'm all messed…
Walkin Baby's back, dressed in black, Silver buttons all down her …
Walkin' in the Rain Well I'm walking and walking Yes I'm walking in the rain Wel…
Walkin' the Dog Baby's back, dressed in black, Silver buttons all down her …
Walking in the Rain Well I'm walking and walking Yes I'm walking in the rain Wel…
Walking the Dog Baby's back, dressed in black Silver buttons all down her ba…
Wang Dang Doodle Tell Automatic Slim , tell Razor Totin' Jim Tell Butcher Kni…
Who's That Chick Who's that chick Who's that chick Who's that chick Who's tha…
Why Did You Deegee I didn't believe my gal would leave me Didn't believe my…
World Is Round The world is round But it's crooked just the same, yeah,…
Ya Ya Oh, well, I'm sittin' here, la, la Waiting for my ya…

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