Born in Bossier City,
Louisiana Rufus Wonder, lived with his father Rufus Harris, and
mother Louise [Breckenridge] Harris, until he was three months old. Rufus, was born
Arthur Lee Harris, or Mathew Breckenridge, depending on what side of
the family you were on!
After
graduating from Theodore Roosevelt high school in, Fresno,
California He named himself Rufus using his father’s first name,
and Wonder, after a ski shop in Shreveport, Louisiana. His father:
Rufus Harris, is now deceased.
His
mother now go by the name of Louise Meyers, she was born 09/11/1917,
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, and his great aunt
Mary Booker, lived at, when he graduated from Theodore Roosevelt
high school.
In
high school, Rufus, sang in the senior choir, and was a high jumper
on the varsity track team. He performed in the West Coast Relays,
the California Invitational, 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, Rufus moved to Los
Angeles, where he lived and worked for six months 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 in different places around in the South
Pacific also in the Bekini Atolls, 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.
After
the military,
he joined another group called "The Ripps", members were
Leonard Dykes, Al Sheppard, Bill Norris, and Mathew R. Breckenridge
(aka Rufus
Wonder). Bill Norris, was also an excellent drummer, producer and
vocalist. He was a member of the "Earl Grant's team" at
that time.
We
performed at many clubs around Los Angeles in the Hollywood circuit,
until the group dismantled. Rufus decided to move to San
Francisco, where he performed in many nightclubs around the
San Francisco bay area. At about 6:30 AM, one Saturday morning Rufus
Wonder, was performing on stage at Club 47, and after hours club on
Mason street in San Francisco, singing Little Willie John’s song,
“Fever” when all of a sudden, Little Willie John, walked through
the door. Little Willie John, came over to Rufus and shook his hand
and thank him for singing his song.
When
Rufus left San Francisco, for Chicago, he worked the club circuit
there in Chicago for awhile, then on to Detroit, Michigan where he
recorded his first [45] single, “Under The Moon”, and “So
Upset”. Which
is now a Northern Soul Classic around the world. Thanks to Kev
Roberts in the UK. and all of the British of the Northern Soul
Fever. Where the British are keeping Soul , and R&B music alive
around the world where a lot of artist and some people in the USA
have forgotten about their own music. Until the British came on tour
for the Soul Trip USA in Los Angeles / Hollywood/Las Vegas 2004, New
York/New Jersey/Philadelphia, 2006, Chicago/Detroit, 2009, and the
Soul Trip re-union in ORLANDO, Florida Spring
2011.
This
have brought a lot of artist that had
stop performing, and recording back to the fold.
Now
a lot of artist and entertainers are recording as Independent
artist forming their own record labels, and now staying
active doing their own thing.
R&B
Soul Singer’ Rufus Wonder::: Has performed with many well known
artist, around the United States, and abroad.
He
wrote "Under the Moon", and "So Upset" before
signing with Lando records. Rufus, recorded as Rufus
Wonder & the Additions on the Lando Record Label in Detroit. The
members of the group were Horace Parker, Lionel Brown, Carl Johnson,
and Kenneth Wright. The group changed their names from the Editions,
to the Additions, after hooking up with Rufus Wonder. It was here
that Rufus Wonder was signed, and recorded by the famous, child
star, Frank I. [Sugar Chile] Robinson, and Clifton Dickerson, the
owners of Lando
records, and Autocap Publishing.
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Sugar
Chile Robinson
Frank
Isaac Robinson
(born
28 December 1938),[1]
known
in his early career as a musician as
Sugar
Chile Robinson,
is an American blues
and boogie-woogie
pianist, singer, and later
psychologist, whose career began as a
child prodigy.
Robinson
was born in Detroit,
Michigan. At an early age he showed unusual gifts singing the blues
and accompanying himself on the piano.
He won a talent show at the Paradise Theatre in Detroit at the age of
three, and in 1945 played guest spots at the theatre with
Lionel Hampton, who was prevented by child protection
legislation from taking him on tour with him. However, he performed on
radio with Hampton and Harry
"The Hipster" Gibson, and also appeared as himself in the
Hollywood film
No Leave, No Love, starring
Van Johnson and
Keenan Wynn. In 1946, he played for
President Harry S.
Truman at the
White House, shouting out "How'm I Doin', Mr.
President?" - which became his catchphrase - during his
performance of "Caledonia". He began touring major theatres,
setting box office records in Detroit and California. In 1949 he was
given special permission to join the
American Federation of Musicians
and record, his first releases on
Capitol Records, "Numbers Boogie" and "Caldonia",
both reaching the Billboard
R&B chart. In 1950, he toured and appeared on television
with Count Basie, and
appeared in a short film 'Sugar
Chile' Robinson, Billie Holiday, Count Basie and His Sextet.
The following year, he toured the
UK, appearing at the London
Palladium. He stopped recording in 1952, later explaining:[1] "I
wanted to go to school... I wanted some school background in me and I
asked my Dad if I could stop, and I went to school because I honestly
wanted my college diploma."
Until
1956 he continued to make occasional appearances as a jazz musician,
billed as Frank Robinson, and performed on one occasion with
Gerry Mulligan, but then gave up his musical career entirely.
Continuing his academic studies, he earned a Ph.D.
in psychology
from the University
of Michigan. In the 1960s, he worked and sold advertisement for Chuck
Johnson, for Soul Beat on WGPR-TV Detroit, and also helped set up
small record labels in Detroit and opened a recording studio.
[Lando] In
recent years he has made a comeback as a musician with the help of the
American Music Research Foundation. In 2002, he appeared at a special
concert celebrating Detroit music, and in 2007 he traveled to Britain
to appear at a rock and
roll weekend festival.
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I
am also now back in touch with Mr. Frank I [Sugar Chile] Robinson who
still lives in Detroit, Michigan.
At
that time, Rufus Wonder's personal manager was the famous Organist Mr.
Herman Davis of Detroit, Michigan, who also played with Ernie Freeman.
Rufus,
has performed onstage with such artists as,
Bay area Rapper Keldamuzik of Diva TV,
Rapper Shavone
Pickett, Rapper President L. Davis,
Rapper
D’ Labre,
Rapper and Spoken Word Artist’ Keith Thompson, Spoken Word
Artist’ Paradise, And Interview on the Oakland Is., TV Show own by
Jimmy Guy, with Vocalist’ Ronda, Benin, The Sounds Of Urban Life
Soldiers,
The
"Fabulous Counts", "Little
Milton", the famous dancers “Oscar Hucklebee”, &
“Caldonia Young”, Ed Henry,
Steve
Mancha, "100 Proof Aged in Soul", "The DuKays",
”The Dells”, “James [Zeek] Brown”, who formerly sang with the
Calvays, Accents, and the Blenders., "The Redd Saunders Band in
Chicago", "Harvey Scales & the Seven Sounds",
Dennis Edwards, "Carl Carlton, also was known as “Little Carl
Carlton”,
"Sugar
Pie Desanto", "The Mar Keys", William
Bell, "The Temptations", Billy
Preston, Betty Everette, Alberta Adams, Christine Katrell,
"the O' town Passions",
"the
Cleveland Jones Temptation Revue", “Danny A. Thomas,
a former member of Con Funk Shun Stardom., “Just Rick, who was the
former base singer for The Exclusives, The Elusives, the Tint of
Darkness, The Boys on The Block, and The O’Town Passions. Rufus have
shared the stage with “Lee Williams”, "God's New
Creations", "The Oakland Heirs", “Joe Williams”,
and “Inez Jones”, The famous actress, “Colostine
[Kuki]
Boatwright” who is in the movie Cooley
High, and “Cynthia Joy” , actress & model from Great Neck, New
York, to name a few.
He
has been booked through , Rodgers & Rodgers theatrical Enterprises
out of Detroit, Michigan, The Jimmy Daniel's Revue, of the Shaw artist
agency, out of New York, Dale Warren Agency, out of Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, The little theater group, which was run by Mr. Mosley, and
Mr. Adams of the Negro Charities of America out of Chicago, Illinois,
whose first names is unknown.
Rufus
Wonder has worked with famous Photographers and Productions people,
such as…
Ray
Mc Cullough, MC Collins, and Walter Jenkins. Ray Mc Cullough, and
Walter Jenkins, of Round About L A, TV shows,
Video unlimited productions, and AAMEN
TV Los Angeles. Where He worked as second cameraman, also lay-out
& design artist for The L A TV Journal, which was owned by Ray Mc
Cullough.
Also
MC Collins, Photographer, Lighting Tech., Video,
DVD producer, and Actor.
The
inventor of the, African American Time Piece Watch, and Lighting
Tech for the Hollywood's Motion Picture Studios, such as Universal,
Paramount, MGM, Fox, and Etc.
I've
done similar work with M C Collins, with designs and photography.
Rufus
Wonder, was a magazine distributor for the Music Connections Magazine,
Editor & publishers: Michael Dolan & Eric Bateli, out of
Hollywood. The Happenings magazine Editor &
publisher, Dr. Lee of the Sacramento Observer Newspaper, out of
Sacramento, CA.
Rufus,
was the sole distributor for the Happenings magazine in the Southern
California area. The Happenings magazine, office
was located across the street from the Grauman's Chinese theater, in
the Max Factor building in Hollywood, where the famous writer Suzanne
Vickstrom was the Hollywood editor.
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Rufus
was also the distributor for Black Hollywood magazine Editor &
publisher, Miss Sonya Dunson in Hollywood. Miss Sonya Dunson, was the
winner of the Miss Michigan Universe pageant, in the seventies.
I
slowed down and relaxed myself from the entertainment business, for
awhile. I went back to school. I studied at Los Angeles City, Los
Angeles Trade Tech, Laney, and Alameda colleges. I studied music, the
graphic arts, also economics, and business Law. I worked in my own
printing business for a number of Years
Business Card World, Utmost Graphics,
and Muntu Sauce Productions.
My
vocal, and musical instructors was Lucy Kinchen and Ed Kelly, of Laney
College in Oakland, California. Also, Razz Kennedy of Razz Kennedy
Productions in San Francisco, California.
Mr.
Ralph Carlson was my graphic artist instructor, at Los Angeles Trade
Tech College.
Now
I am back in the entertainment business,
I have started my own Publishing, and Record Label call, Oh! O'Star
Records, & LACAILMI Publishing, also [RWE] Rufus Wonder
Entertainment, BMI.
My
Classic Originals: ”Under
The Moon”,
and “So
Upset”.
I
have several albums out now…
“Tell
Me So”, “The Radiant One”, “Stitched To Your Hip”, and
“Rufus Wonder, Sings Oldies But Goodies Cover & Originals”.
My
motto:
"Bridging
the Gap, between the Old, and the Young."
Famous
Clubs, and places where I have performed:
The
20 Grand, Phelps Lounge, Mr. Kelly's, Bens Peter Pan, & Ben's High
Chaparrals, The Local 212 for the Brewster Old Timers, Detroit,
Michigan, The Motor City Employees Club, Flint, Michigan, The
Shadowland Ballroom, Benton Harbor, Saint Joseph, Michigan. The
Pinwheel Lounge, Continental Lounge The El Patio, Cleveland, Ohio. The
Fort Wayne Auditorium, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, The Muncie National Guard
Armory, Muncie, Indiana. The Fort Wayne Auditorium Fort Wayne, Indiana
The Decatur Hotel, Decatur, Illinois
The
C & C Lounge, The Roberts Show Lounge, The Rum Boogie, The Trianon
Ballroom, The pre-Game show for the Chicago White Sox Baseball Game, Chicago,
Illinois. The Moberly Auditorium, Moberly, Missouri, The Boonville
Lounge, Boonville, Missouri. The St. Francis Auditorium, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. The Tail Spin, Hollywood, The California
Club,
The Oasis, The Total Experience, Mr. Woodleys,
The Proud Bird, The Page 4, The Cover Girl Lounge, Marla Gibbs Memory
Lane, UCLA Music Center, The Name of the Game Jr., Disco 9000, The
Wilshire Grand Hotel, Los Angeles, California.
The
Showcase, Oakland, California
Bluesville,
Oakland, California
Kimbals
Corner, Oakland, California
The
First Stop, Oakland, California
Jeffery's,
Oakland, California
The
California Ballroom, Oakland, California
The
Continental Lounge, Oakland, California
The
Sir Francis Drake, Ann's 4’40 The Streets of Paris, Grant Green, the
On Broadway, The Ghetto Lounge, The Rickshaw,
Basin
Street West, San Francisco, California.
Club
181, San Francisco
Contacts…
For
booking, and etc:
Oh!
O'STAR RECORDS
Bridging
the GAP, between the OLD, and the YOUNG.
R&B
Soul Vocalist
Rufus
WONDER
Available For Bookings
Contact Information:
OH! O’ STAR RECORDS
1714 Franklin St., Suite 100-160
Oakland, CA 94612
Email: rwe@sbcglobal.net
Main, Contact Phone: 510-238-8601
Cell: 510-517-7040
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