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Carl Smith - 1959
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I had the pleasure of seeing Carl Smith in
person in 1959. We were at Camdeb Park in Hunnington, WV.. my Ma, Aunt Louise, my cousing
Verna Jean and myself. I was six years old and saw all of the teenagers going up on stage
to get his autograph and wanted to go so badly. While my Ma wasn't looking, my Aunt Louise
gave Verna Jean and I each 50 cents so we could talk to this handsome star and get his
autographed photo. |
BORN: March 15, 1927,
Maynardsville, TN
Known as "Mr. Country," Carl Smith was one of the most popular honky tonkers of
the '50s, racking up over 30 Top Ten hits over the course of the decade. Smith was also
able to sustain that popularity into the late '70s, during which time he had a charting
single for every year except one. Smith had a talent for singing smooth ballads which
polished the rough edges of hardcore country. Neverthless, he could sing pure honky tonk
with the best of them, and his hardest country was made tougher by the addition of a drum
kit. Smith was one of the very first country artists to regularly perform with a
drummer, and though it earned him criticism at the time, the hard-driving sound of those
uptempo numbers proved to be influential. Smith also occasionally dabbled in Western
Swing, and as he continued to record, he delved deeper into the genre. Since he
specialized in honky tonk ballads and western swing, Smith rarely crossed over into the
pop audience. Still, he was one of the most popular and best-known country singers of his
era, recording several
classics -- including "Let's Live a Little," "Let Old Mother Nature Have
Her Way," "This Orchard Means Goodbye," "Cut Across Shorty,"
"Loose Talk," "(When You Feel like You're in Love) Don't Just Stand
There" and "Hey Joe!" -- appeaing in a handful of movies, and hosting his
own television show. By the time he retired in the early '80s, he had hit the country
charts nearly 100 times.(Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All
Music Guide) |
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