RUFUS THOMAS Vinyl Records and CDs

If at any point in your life you have uttered the phrase or attempted to dance "the funky chicken," then sit down and write Rufus Thomas a thank you note. The self-professed "Oldest Living Teenager" was a forefather to Funk as well as the model for the Memphis Sound. Not heart-wrenching but just plain wacky, Thomas' songs were usually about "do"-ing something (i.e., the dog, the chicken, the penguin, the monkey, the lemur, etc.). This would be accompanied by Rufus flailing about in his outrageous clothing. His bare-bones Funk proved an early hitmaker for Sun and a constant source of revenue for Stax. As the "dance craze" craze wore thin, Rufus took his old job back as a local DJ, content with being the elder statesman for general silliness.