`OLD PRO' HEADLINES JAZZ FEST

At age 80, jazz performer Rufus Thomas spreads his arms, grins and says, "You're looking at the finished product."

Years of practice and polish have gone into perfecting his performance. Yet, he said, being at the right place at the right time earned him the most fame.

Thomas was the headliner for the first City of Roses Music Festival, held this weekend in downtown Cape Girardeau.

The three-day event was sponsored by the City of Roses Music Heritage Association.

Bob Camp, an organizer of the event, said Friday's Downtown Walk-Around was a huge success.

"We were at capacity," Camp said. "All the venues were filled to capacity."

People purchased a wrist band and could go to any of nine downtown locations where live music was being performed.

"Papa Aborigine turned away three times as many people as were in the venue," Camp said. "But for the 190 people who got in, it was a night to remember."

Camp was a little disappointed at Saturday's turnout. A crowd of several hundred people braved chilly temperatures to listen to music from two outdoor stages set up at Water and Broadway.

"There are not the big numbers we hoped for," Camp said. "But it's okay. Everyone's having a great time, and we've got it up and rolling. I think we have a basis for an annual event."

Thomas took the stage early Saturday evening. He is often called the "The World's Oldest Teenager," but he said age has it's advantages.

"I'm having a great time being 80," Thomas said. "I'm handsome and I get to do what I like."

Thomas has been performing since he was 6 years old. "I played the part of a frog in a school play," he said. "I did not know that later on a dog and a chicken would take me so far."

In 1969, Thomas wrote a song called the "Funky Chicken."

"I wrote the song," he said, sitting at Port Cape Girardeau before his Saturday performance. "The dance was already there, but it needed a song."

Thomas and his band were performing at the Crestwood club in Covington, Tenn., at the time. "We had a little groove going and the words just came out," Thomas said. "It all happened in about 30 minutes -- while I was working."

In the early 1960s, Thomas wrote songs attached to another popular dance, "The Dog," and "Walk the Dog."

"The dance was so hot, it needed a song. It was the right song at the right time," he said.

While the two specialty songs brought him fame, Thomas has spent years polishing his music.

"Jazz is for the musician," Thomas said. "He puts what he wants on top of the blues. Blues and gospel is the foundation of it all."

The years of practice have paid off, he said. "I've been polished and shined. You're looking at a pro."