R&B
Vocalist’ Rufus Wonder, began singing at an early age. in
church, vaudevilles, and little theater groups.
Born in
Bossier City, Louisiana Rufus Wonder, lived with his father
Rufus Harris, and mother Louise Breckenridge Harris, until he
was three months old.
His
father: Rufus Harris, is now deceased.
His
mother now go by the name of Louise Meyers, she was born
09/11/17: She is now 93, years old she has been living in
Oakland, California since 1967.
His
great uncle and aunt, Henry and Mary Booker, adopted him at the
age of 3 months old. They lived in Benton, Louisiana until
Rufus’s great uncle Henry Booker, passed when Rufus, was at the
age of 10 years old.
Rufus and
his great aunt Mary Booker, moved to Oakland, California when he
was at the age of 12.
They lived
in Oakland for a short period of time, then they moved to
Fresno, California. Where his oldest Great uncle and aunt, Rallie
and Lillie Mae Smith, bought a house where Rufus Wonder, and his
great aunt Mary Booker, lived at, when he graduated from
Theodore Roosevelt high school in Fresno.
In high
school, Rufus Wonder, sang in the senior choir, and was a high
jumper on the varsity track team. He performed in the West Coast
Relays, the California Invitationals, he was also in the high
school Cadets. Rufus attended Edison Junior & Senior High school
in Fresno, before transferring to Theodore Roosevelt high.
Rufus
joined the Army Reserves when he was in the eleventh grade.
After graduating from Theodore Roosevelt high school, in Fresno,
Rufus moved to Los Angeles, where he lived and worked for six
months. Rufus worked for JW Robinson department store before he
decided to transfer from the US Army reserves to go to active
duty in to the US Navy.
In the
Navy Rufus, formed a singing group called the Blenders. The
members of the group were Aaron Fusilier, Vernon Mallett, Willie
Davis, and Mathew R. Breckenridge
(aka Rufus
Wonder).
The
Blenders performed in the special services in the military. They
performed Overseas, in Japan in places like Yokuska,
Okinawa. In Tai Pae, Keylong, Fomosa, and all around in the
South Pacific in Bekini Atols, where they performed for the
Atomic Energy Commission, where there were Admirals, Generals,
and the president of the United States were present.
There were
about 1,000 ships to 150,000, civilian and military personnel in
the area.
In Hawaii:
At Pearl Harbor, in Honolulu, and on many ships especially on
the Bedoing Straite Aircraft carrier CVE 116, where Rufus and a
friend had a 15 minute
television
show once a week aboard ship that they televised to other ships
at sea.
