Sun Sounds- “Bear Cat”- Rufus Thomas. Rufus Thomas 1917-2001 was a jack of all trades in Memphis- singer, songwriter, dancer, DJ, and comic entertainer. He recorded for two of the greatest record labels of the era first at Sun and later at Stax.

“Bear Cat” was an ‘answer record” to Big Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog.” “Bear Cat” released in 1953 became a #3 hit on Billboard’s R&B singles chart. The downside was a copyright-infringement lawsuit brought by the publisher of “Hound Dog” nearly bankrupted Sun.

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