Byther Smith
Byther Claude Earl John Smith (born April 17, 1932)[1] is an American blues musician.[2]
Byther Smith | |
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Smith at the Silver Dollar Room, Toronto, Canada | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Byther Claude Earl John Smith |
Born | Monticello, Mississippi, United States | April 17, 1932
Genres | Blues |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
Years active | Late 1950s–present |
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]
References
- Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 119. ISBN 978-0313344237.
- Dahl, Bill (1933-04-17). "Byther Smith – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-03-10.
- Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books. p. 167. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.