The Foote Files: Rufus Thomas
(CBS 11) - Rufus Thomas (1917-2001) was a R&B/soul singer, active from 1936-1998, and charted four times on Billboard from 1963-1971, with three of those four in 1970 and 1971.
He started as a tap dancer, vaudeville performer, and Masters Of Ceremonies in the 1930s and also worked as a radio disc jockey at WDIA/Memphis.
He is known for his novelty dance songs primarily and we are featuring one of them here.
"Walking The Dog" was written by Thomas and produced by Jim Stewart, released in September 1963 on the Stax Records label, the record company of Booker T & The MG's.
It got all the way to #10 on Billboard and was his most successful song. Others who recorded this song included The Rolling Stones, Johnny Rivers, The Kingsmen and Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels. It runs 2:30.
Feel free to get up and dance!