Rufus Thomas R.I.P.

Rufus Thomas, the Memphis musician whose recording career included early hits with legendary Sun Records, has died at age 84.

Mr. Thomas' son Marvell Thomas says his father had been hospitalized in Memphis since late November but did not specify the cause.

Rufus Thomas's best known recordings include "Walking the Dog," "Do the Funky Chicken" and "Push and Pull."

In 1953, he recorded "Bear Cat," which became the first hit single for Sam Phillips' Sun Records, the label that discovered Elvis Presley. Later, Mr. Thomas was one of the founding performers for another Memphis record label, Stax, which defined the so-called "Memphis Sound" and included artists such as Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, and Sam and Dave.

In his later years, Rufus Thomas was given the nickname "Beale Street Ambassador," named after a famous Memphis street with many nightclubs and music spots. His connection to Beale Street dated back to the 1940's, when he ran an amateur show that featured future stars such as BB King and Bobby "Blue" Bland.

In 1998, Mr. Thomas underwent open-heart surgery in a Memphis hospital.

Son Marvell Thomas remarked Saturday that with his father's death "it is the end of an era. The world will miss him dearly."