Byther Smith
Byther Smith | |
|---|---|
 Smith at the Silver Dollar Room, Toronto, Canada | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Byther Claude Earl John Smith |
| Born | April 17, 1932 Monticello, Mississippi, United States |
| Genres | Blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | Late 1950s–present |
Byther Claude Earl John Smith (born April 17, 1932)[1] is an American blues musician.[2]
Career
Born in Monticello, Mississippi, Smith migrated to Chicago in the mid-1950s. In the early 1960s he bagan performing in clubs, learning guitar from J. B. Lenoir (his first cousin), Robert Lockwood, Jr., and Hubert Sumlin.[2]
After years playing in clubs all over the world, a demo tape Smith recorded became the album Tell Me How You Like It, released by the Texas-based Grits record label. His next release in the United Kingdom was Addressing the Nation with the Blues for JSP Records.[3] In 1995, Smith retired from his job at Economy Folding Box Company after twenty-five years, allowing him to focus fully on music.
Delmark Records boss Bob Koester observed, "There's a mellowness there that is disappearing in all but B.B. King".[3]
See also
References
- ^ Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 119. ISBN 978-0313344237.
- ^ a b Dahl, Bill (1933-04-17). "Byther Smith – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-03-10.
- ^ a b Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books. p. 167. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- 1932 births
- Living people
- People from Monticello, Mississippi
- American blues guitarists
- American male guitarists
- American blues singers
- American blues singer-songwriters
- African-American singers
- Songwriters from Mississippi
- Guitarists from Mississippi
- 20th-century American guitarists
- 20th-century American male musicians
- Black & Blue Records artists
- JSP Records artists