Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith facts for kids

Arthur Smith (born April 1, 1921 – died April 3, 2014) was an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He was also a popular radio and TV host. Smith created and produced many radio and TV shows. His show, The Arthur Smith Show, was the first country music show to be shown all over the country on television. He later started the first professional recording studio in the Southeast United States.

Arthur Smith was born in Clinton, South Carolina. He worked in a textile mill before becoming a famous country music artist. He was known for playing the guitar, fiddle, and banjo. One of his first big hits was an instrumental song called "Guitar Boogie". He wrote and recorded it in 1945. This song sold over three million copies and earned a gold disc award. Because of this song, people started calling him Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith. This helped tell him apart from another famous fiddler named Arthur Smith. Many musicians around the world recorded his song.

The song was later renamed "Guitar Boogie Shuffle" and became a rock and roll hit. Other famous musicians, like Roy Clark and Glen Campbell, were influenced by Arthur Smith's music.

Smith was also known for his song "Feudin' Banjos" from 1955. This song was later used in the popular movie Deliverance (1972) and renamed "Dueling Banjos". It became a huge hit, reaching the Top Ten and even #1 in the U.S. and Canada. Arthur Smith was not given credit for the song in the movie. He later sued Warner Brothers and won a settlement. He asked Warner Bros. to add his name to the soundtrack.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Arthur Smith was born in 1921 in Clinton, South Carolina. His father worked in a cotton mill and was also a music teacher. Arthur's first instrument was the cornet. Arthur and his brothers, Ralph and Sonny, formed a jazz band called the Carolina Crackerjacks. They played on the radio for a short time.

Their jazz music was not very popular at first. They became more successful when they started playing country music. Arthur Smith moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, to join a live radio show called the Carolina Barndance. Before World War II, he sometimes played with the WBT Briarhoppers band.

After World War II

After serving in the U.S. Navy during the war, Smith returned to Charlotte. His brothers, his wife Dorothy, and singer Roy Lear joined him in his music career. He also started his own radio show, Carolina Calling. In 1951, Smith was part of the first live television broadcast in Charlotte.

His own show, The Arthur Smith Show, was the first country music TV show to be shown across the whole country. It ran for 32 years in many different cities. His band, renamed Arthur Smith & His Crackerjacks, became very famous in the Southeast. They had a daily morning show called Carolina Calling. This show was even shown on the CBS-TV network during the summer in the 1950s. This made Arthur Smith known to many more people.

In 1955, Smith wrote a banjo song called "Feudin' Banjos." He recorded it with banjo player Don Reno. This song was later used in the 1972 movie Deliverance and called "Dueling Banjos". It became a very big hit, reaching #1 on several music charts. Because he was not given credit for the song in the movie, Smith sued Warner Brothers. He won a large settlement and was given songwriting credit for the song. This was an important case for copyright law.

Arthur Smith wrote almost 500 songs. More than 100 of these were inspirational or gospel songs. Songs like "The Fourth Man" and "I Saw A Man" sold over a million copies. Many famous artists have recorded his songs, including Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, and Willie Nelson. A part of his Crackerjacks band also sang gospel music as the Crossroads Quartet.

In 1957, Smith started the first commercial recording studio in the Southeast, located in Charlotte. He recorded his own band and many other musicians there. Famous artists like Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, and Ronnie Milsap recorded at his studio. He also produced music for other artists, including rhythm and blues star James Brown. Brown's song "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" (1965) was recorded in Smith's studio.

Smith also created and produced radio shows for famous people like Johnny Cash and James Brown. Billy Graham's Hour of Decision radio program was first made in Smith's studio. Smith also hosted his own radio show, Top of the Morning, for 29 years. In the 1970s, he produced a weekly TV show that was shown in over 90 TV markets.

The Crackerjacks band had many talented country musicians over the years. These included Don Reno and fiddler Jim Buchanan.

Arthur Smith retired in 2006. His son, Clay Smith, now manages his music publishing and production businesses. Clay Smith is also a recording artist and producer. Arthur and Clay Smith worked together on 12 movie soundtracks.

Death

Arthur Smith passed away at his home on April 3, 2014. He died two days after his 93rd birthday. Many artists, friends, and family honored him at a memorial service. Musicians performed several of his popular gospel songs. They also played his classic banjo song, "Dueling Banjos". The service ended with a performance of "Guitar Boogie" by many guitarists.

Awards and Recognition

Arthur Smith received many awards for his songwriting and producing:

• BMI Song of the Year Award (1973)
• Grammy Award for "Dueling Banjos" (1973)
• The Broadcasters Hall of Fame – North Carolina Association of Broadcasters (1990)
• South Carolina Hall of Fame (1998)
• North Carolina Folk Heritage Award (1998)
• North Carolina Award (2001)
• Lifetime Achievement Award - South Carolina Broadcasters Association (2006)
• BMI Legendary Songwriter Award (2006)
• North Carolina Music Hall of Fame (2010)

Discography

Albums

• Specials (1955)
• Fingers on Fire (1957)
• Arthur Smith and the Crossroads Quartet (1962)
• Mister Guitar (1962)
• Arthur Smith: In Person (1963)
• Goes to Town (1963)
• Arthur Smith and Voices (1963)
• Original Guitar Boogie (1964)
• The Arthur Smith Show (1964)
• Guitar Boogie (1968)
• Battling Banjos (1973)
• Smith & Son (1975) - with Clay Smith
• The Original Dueling Banjos

Singles

See also

In Spanish: Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith para niños