Byther Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Byther Smith
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Smith at the Silver Dollar Room, Toronto, 2008
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Byther Claude Earl John Smith |
| Also known as | Byther Smith, Byther Smitty Smith |
| Born | April 17, 1932 Monticello, Mississippi, United States |
| Died | September 10, 2021 (aged 89) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | Blues, electric blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | Late 1950s–2021 |
| Labels | Delmark, Bullseye, Black and Tan |
| Associated acts | J.B. Lenoir Otis Rush Junior Wells |
Byther Smith was an American blues musician. He was born on April 17, 1932, and passed away on September 10, 2021. He played with many famous blues artists. These included Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. He also worked with Jimmy Reed, Otis Rush, and Junior Wells.
Contents
About Byther Smith
Early Life and Music
Byther Smith was born in Monticello, Mississippi. When he was young, he mostly heard gospel music. He grew up with his uncle and aunt.
As a teenager, he moved to Arizona. He worked on a cattle ranch there. On weekends, he played in a country and western band. He also worked in construction. Farmhands taught him to play the double bass.
Byther was interested in boxing. To encourage his music, his aunt bought him an electric bass guitar. This helped him choose a path in music.
Music Career
In the mid-1950s, Byther Smith moved to Chicago with his wife, Etta Mae. In the early 1960s, he started playing in clubs. He learned guitar from his cousin, J. B. Lenoir. He also learned from Robert Lockwood Jr. and Hubert Sumlin.
He often played rhythm guitar for Otis Rush. During this time, he recorded several songs. These were released by labels like Bea & Baby and Cruise. In 1965, he returned to his gospel roots. He joined a group called the Gospel Travellers.
In the 1970s, Byther joined the house band at Theresa’s Tavern. He played there for five years. He often performed with Junior Wells. In 1974, he recorded songs with Sunnyland Slim. Later, these songs appeared on Slim's album 'She Got A Thing Goin' On'. In the late 1970s, Smith toured with famous musicians. These included Big Mama Thornton and George "Harmonica" Smith.
After many years of playing in clubs, Byther recorded a demo tape. This tape became his album Tell Me How You Like It. It was released by the Grits record label in Texas. His next album, Addressing the Nation with the Blues, was released in the United Kingdom.
In 1995, Byther Smith retired from his job. He had worked at Economy Folding Box Company for twenty-five years. This allowed him to focus completely on music. He stopped touring in 2015.
Delmark Records boss Bob Koester once said about Byther Smith, "There's a mellowness there that is disappearing in all but B.B. King".
Byther Smith passed away in Chicago on September 10, 2021. He was 89 years old.
Music By Byther Smith
Singles
- Thanks You Mr. Kennedy / Champion Girl, EDA Records 1556 (1962)
- So Unhappy / Money Tree, Be Be Records 101 (1974)
- What Have I Done / Sweet Sixteen, Be Be Records 102 (1976)
- Tell Me How You Like It / Come On In This House, Grits GR-4500 (1983)
Albums
- Hold That Train, Delmark (1981)
- Tell Me How You Like It, Grits (1983)
- Big Shot Smitty, Mina Records 1002 (1984)
- Gritty Soul, Mina Records LP-M1004 (1985)
- Addressing The Nation With The Blues, JSP Records (1989)
- Housefire, Bullseye (1991)
- I'm A Mad Man, Bullseye BB 9527 (1993)
- Mississippi Kid, Delmark (1996)
- All Night Long, Delmark (1997)
- Smitty’s Blues, Black and Tan (2001)
- Throw Away The Book, Black and Tan (2004)
- Blues on the Moon: Live at the Natural Rhythm Social Club, Delmark (2008)
- Got No Place To Go, Fedora FCD 5034 (2008)
See also
- List of Chicago blues musicians
- Old Town BluesFest
