Rufus Thomas, Jr.
Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee
Marker Inscription
Rufus Thomas, Jr. Born March 26, 1917, in Cayce, Mississippi, this legendary entertainer known worldwide, began his career in the 1930s with the Rabbit Foot Minstrel Shows. He was the organizer and master of ceremonies of the amateur shows in the 1940s and 1950s at the Palace Theatre, which stood at this site. From these shows began the careers of many great performers, including B.B. King and Bobby "Blue" Bland. He had the first hit records for both the Sun and Stax labels. As a popular personality on WDIA, he was the first disc jockey to play Elvis Presley records on a Black radio station. He was the creator of two of the biggest dance crazes of the 1960s, “The Dog" and “The Funky Chicken."
Erected by Tennessee Historical Commission
The Story
Born in Mississippi in 1917, Rufus Thomas, Jr. began in traveling minstrel shows and became one of the great showmen of Memphis, hosting the amateur nights at the Palace Theatre that once stood here. From that stage rose talents like B.B. King and Bobby 'Blue' Bland, and Thomas himself scored early hits for both the Sun and Stax labels while spinning records on pioneering Black station WDIA. His 1960s dance songs 'The Dog' and 'The Funky Chicken' made him a national star.
Why it matters
He was a linchpin of the Memphis music scene that shaped rhythm and blues, soul, and the birth of rock and roll.
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Related people
- · Rufus Thomas, Jr.
- · B.B. King
- · Bobby "Blue" Bland
- · Elvis Presley
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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On this Memphis site stood Stax Records, launched in a repurposed neighborhood movie theater in 1957 and grown into one of American music's great soul labels. Its house sound backed Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers, Albert King, and Rufus and Carla Thomas, among many others. From a back-street garage, its deep Southern soul roots carried it to national prominence.