Born Feb 7, 1951 in Honey Grove, Texas (about 70 miles northeast of Dallas)..moved to Portland, Oregon when he was about 17. He joined The Antoine Brothers with Nolan Struck as the lead singer. Some years later in 1985 Smith released a live record, “The Texas Blues Wailer” to little fanfare but in 1990 Smith managed to get his first studio record, “Money Talks”, distributed through the then hot Soul/Blues label Ichiban Records.
It’s easy to believe Smith is also a radio DJ when you hear that deep smoky voice chat us up on the new hit “Has It Come To This”. Like Frank-O Johnson he also has a strong singing voice able to deliver on many forms of blues n’ soul. “Has It Come To This” is the brand new single on this satisfyin’ 15 song collection. Smith reminds us how we got our woman. “…you got her by taking flowers to her at her job…by taking her out to dinner and dancing, swingin’…you used to give her money to go to the beauty salon” but you don’t do it anymore. Hey, the women get reminders too on what they used to do so it’s equal opportunity. This is one of the better “same thing you did to get her/do the same thing to keep her” songs I’ve heard. Songs like this balance out the many “cheating” songs in the Southern Soul/Blues world. Next Smith puts on a vocal tour de force with “Tonight”, a fantastic bluesy ballad that is part Ray Charles and part Johnny Adams. A gem! Nearly as good is “Stick And Stay” and his surprising deep soul rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Knocking On Heaven’s Door”. I’m sure Bob would be proud. Smith also excels on soul/blues winners like “Stacked In The Back”, “Louisiana Bound” and the B.B. King-influenced “Stuck On You” and takes you to the dance floor on “Dance With The One”, featuring a squawking sax solo by Don Diego plus the Lucky Peterson-produced “Fell In Love”. And like a sweet after dinner port Smith closes the disc with a tender ode to mama (“Mother”). A must have CD.