Do The Funky Chicken
Artist: Rufus Thomas
758,000
TRUSTe Certified Privacy
Compatible phone & coverage required.
Certified to work with:
1. Enter Your Phone Number
Minimum age restrictions apply. You must be 18 or older in order to participate in the following states: Florida.
About Rufus Thomas
Few of rock & roll's founding figures are as likable as Rufus Thomas. From the 1940s onward, he has personified Memphis music; his small but witty cameo role in Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train, a film which satirizes and enshrines the city's role in popular culture, was entirely appropriate. As a recording artist, he wasn't a major innovator, but he could always be depended upon for some good, silly, and/or outrageous fun with his soul dance tunes. He was one of the few rock or soul stars to reach his commercial and artistic peak in middle age, and was a crucial mentor to many important Memphis blues, rock, and soul musicians.nThomas was already a professional entertainer in the mid-'30s, when he was a comedian with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels. He recorded music as early as 1941, but really made his mark on the Memphis music scene as a deejay on WDIA, one of the few black-owned stations of the era. He also ran talent shows on Memphis' famous Beale Street that helped showcase the emerging skills of such influential figures as B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Junior Parker, Ike Turner, and Roscoe Gordon.nThomas had his first success as a recording artist in 1953 with "Bear Cat," a funny answer record to Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog." It made number three on the R&B charts, giving Sun Records its first national hit, though some of the sweetness went out of the triumph after Sun owner Sam Phillips lost a lawsuit for plagiarizing the original Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller tune. Thomas, strangely, would make only one other record for Sun, and recorded only sporadically throughout the rest of the 1950s.nThomas and his daughter Carla would become the first stars for the Stax label, for whom they recorded a duet in 1959, "'Cause I Love You" (when the company was still known as Satellite). In the '60s, Carla would become one of Stax's biggest stars. On his own, Rufus wasn't as successful as his daughter, but issued a steady stream of decent dance/novelty singles.nThese were not deep or emotional statements, or meant to be. Vaguely prefiguring elements of funk, the accent was on the stripped-down groove and Rufus' good-time vocals, which didn't take himself or anything seriously. The biggest by far was "Walking the Dog," which made the Top Ten in 1963, and was covered by the Rolling Stones on their first album.nThomas hit his commercial peak in the early '70s, when "Do the Funky Chicken," "(Do The) Push and Pull," and "The Breakdown" all made the R&B Top Five. As the song titles themselves make clear, funk was now driving his sound rather than blues or soul. Thomas drew upon his vaudeville background to put them over on-stage with fancy footwork that displayed remarkable agility for a man well into his 50s. The collapse of the Stax label in the mid-'70s meant the end of his career, basically, as it did for many other artists with the company. In 2001, Rufus Thomas was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. Later that year, on December 15, he died at St. Francis hospital in Memphis, TN.~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
Terms & Conditions
(Disponible en Español)
By clicking the button above, you acknowledge that you are the account holder for the cell phone number entered and you expressly agree to these terms as well as the Thumbplay Terms & Conditions of Use Agreement and Privacy Policy.
Bonus ringtones are only available to new subscribers who are customers of supported carriers. Not all carriers support the Thumbplay service. A phone with an Internet-enabled and SMS-enabled (short message service) account is required. If you elect to become a subscriber, after entering your password, you will be subscribed to Thumbplay and automatically charged $9.99 each month using the billing method selected by you (i.e., mobile phone bill, deducted from prepaid balance, PayPal or credit card) for 10 credits each month until such time as you cancel your subscription. PayPal or credit card billing may not be available at the time of your transaction, and in such event, or in the event you do not select a billing method, charges will be billed to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. Monthly credits expire at the end of each month and may not be rolled over into the following month. In certain instances, in lieu of a subscription you may have the opportunity to make a one-time purchase. In such case, the purchase price (from $0.99 to $5.99 per content item) for the content item you select will be charged to the billing method selected by you (i.e., mobile phone bill, deducted from prepaid balance, PayPal or credit card). For information about single item purchases, text HELP to 21453. Text STOP to 21453 to stop messaging. Credits may only be provided after billing is successful.
Games are not currently supported for Verizon Wireless customers.
Your 10 bonus credits for ringtones, wallpapers, videos or games will be available when you activate your account by entering your password on the next page. Your password will be sent to your phone when you click the button above. This offer is only available to first time customers of Thumbplay and can not be combined with any other offer.
Message and data rates may apply for subscriptions, promotional text messages, and account related text messages. Taxes may also apply.
By clicking the button above you expressly agree to receive these communications by SMS, including our weekly newsletter. You may stop receiving promotional text messages by clicking here.
You may receive your password confirmation text message multiple times until you complete the sign-up process. If you would like to stop receiving the password confirmation text messages, please email us at passwordsms@thumbplay.com. You also agree to receive promotional and account related email communications. You may unsubscribe from promotional email communications by unsubscribing here.
You may cancel your Thumbplay subscription by sending the words STOP from your mobile device to 48000 or by contacting us via email. If you subscribe to multiple services, you may be prompted to specify which services you wish to cancel. Please direct all email inquiries to support@thumbplay.com. You may also call 1-877-THUMB-99 (1-877-848-6299) for questions regarding your account.
Need music? You’re at the right place! Stand out from the crowd and be the envy of all your friends with the hottest, most up-to-date full track MP3s (DRM free!), ringtones, or real music tones around. If your phone can handle it, we’ve got it - download music from hip hop, hard rock, dance, indie, smooth R&B and all the classics to stuff so bizarre you’ve just gotta hear it yourself. Need that college football anthem for next Saturday? How about some bumpin’ reggaeton? We have over 758,000 downloads available now!
Ringtones from Nickelback, T Pain, Britney Spears, Fergie, Jessica Simpson, Soulja Boy, Avril Lavigne, Christina Aguilera and Shakira
Thumbplay ringtones and Thumbplay mobile ringtones are compatible with most current Motorola, Nokia, LG, Samsung, Panasonic and Sony Ericsson mobile/cell phones. Supported carriers include AT&T, T-Mobile®, Alltel, and Verizon Wireless.
On your phone visit m.thumbplay.com
©2008 Thumbplay, Inc All Media Guide ©2009 All Media Guide, LLC
On the Web: www.thumbplay.com | On your Phone: m.thumbplay.com
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy
