Rufus Thomas, Jr.

Born March 26, 1917, in Cayce, Mississippi, Rufus Thomas, Jr., became a legendary entertainer known worldwide. He began his career in the 1930s with the Rabbit Foot Minstrel Shows. In the 1940s and 1950s, he organized and served as master of ceremonies for amateur shows at the Palace Theatre, where the careers of many performers, including B.B. King and Bobby "Blue" Bland, began. He later had the first hit records for both the Sun and Stax labels, became a popular personality on WDIA, and was the first disc jockey to play Elvis Presley records on a Black radio station. He also created two of the biggest dance crazes of the 1960s, "The Dog" and "The Funky Chicken."

Memphis, Tennessee · United States