Rufus Thomas 1917-2001

12/15/2001 It is with great sadness that we announce the death of music great Rufus Thomas. Our friend and a friend to thousands around the world, died early this morning at St. Francis Hospital in Memphis, TN from apparent heart failure. He had been suffering from health complications which had worsened in recent weeks.

Rufus was world renowned for such hits as "Walking The Dog", and "Do The Funky Chicken". The self professed "world's oldest teenager" was also the longest running DJ in the history of radio, appearing on radio station WDIA from 1948-2001.

He made many contributions to the music and entertainment industry which will be greatly missed by the industry and definitely the fans. Rufus was one of the great pioneers, and loved all over the world. He will surely be missed.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to:

The Rufus Thomas Scholarship Fund 1900 Union Ave. Memphis, TN 38104

Rufus Thomas was born March 26, 1917 in Cayce, Mississippi. Now in his eighties, Thomas shows no signs of slowing down. He continues to host his weekly radio show on WDIA...even linking via phone when gigging on the road. In addition he is still a very active performer making appearances across the country as well as overseas. He continues to receive awards which stem from a lifetime of achievements in the music and entertainment industries. He is officially known the world over as the "world's oldest teenager" and his tireless efforts have helped raise funds for multiple charitable organizations. He has been honored by the city of Memphis with a street named for him which crosses the famous Beale Street (where Thomas spent most of his career). Rufus has also been honored by the city of Porretta, Italy with Rufus Thomas Park which is the site for an annual Soul Festival held in his honor each year

1998 was an event filled year with the release of Rufus Live! on Ecko Records. Rufus, as usual, was constantly in the '98 headlines as the media followed his performances, and community service. Most often though, his headlines were attributed to his music. On Rufus Live! Thomas gives his audience an updated version of his classic hits, "Walking The Dog" and "Do The Funky Chicken", both of which have become synonymous with the legend's name. These two songs, which were written by Rufus, are often requested on the listener lines. Hearing them reminds us all of the fun and carefree days of our youth. "Big Fine Hunk Of Woman", which was also written by Thomas, is another catchy blues tune that sticks with you long after the performance ends, but the 18 ++ minute version of the Merle Haggard favorite, "Today I Started Loving You Again", is the cut that has the radio waves humming. Rufus performs this song as though it were written for him. This is a true crowd pleaser. Even after the full 18:40 second version, you'll want to take the time to play it again.