Arthur Smith

Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith is an American country music instrumental composer, guitarist, fiddler and banjo player from Clinton, United States. Born in 1921 and active for much of the 20th century, he is associated with bluegrass and country music, and is also linked in the input with boogie-woogie, rockabilly and rock and roll.

Music career

Smith becomes widely known for the instrumental “Guitar Boogie”, which gives him his nickname and becomes a major hit. The piece is later renamed “Guitar Boogie Shuffle” and is recorded by other musicians, helping it cross into rock and roll. He also composes “Feudin’ Banjos”, another instrumental that later gains further recognition through later usage under the title “Dueling Banjos”.

He forms and performs under several group names, including Arthur Smith’s Sensational Trio, Arthur Smith’s Hot Quintet and Arthur Smith & His Cracker-Jacks. His work under the Crackerjacks name becomes an important part of his career, and a portion of the group also records gospel music as The Crossroads Quartet.

Broadcasting, recording and production

Smith moves from early Dixieland work into country radio and television. He joins the cast of the WBT Carolina Barndance in Charlotte, North Carolina, before the war, and after wartime service in the US Navy he returns to Charlotte and continues recording and broadcasting. He starts his own radio programme, Carolina Calling, and also emcees part of the first live television programme broadcast by WBTV in Charlotte in 1951.

The Arthur Smith Show becomes the first country music television show to be syndicated nationally and runs for 32 years in 90 markets. Smith and his band also work with written arrangements, which is unusual for a country act. He builds and manages the first commercial recording studio in the Southeast in Charlotte, where he records his own material and also produces work by other artists. The studio also produces nationally syndicated radio programmes hosted by Johnny Cash, Chet Atkins, Richard Petty, James Brown and George Beverly Shea, and first produces Billy Graham’s Hour of Decision radio programme. Smith also hosts his own syndicated radio show, Top of the Morning, for 29 years.

Compositions, collaborators and influence

Smith has nearly 500 copyrights, including more than 100 inspirational and gospel songs. Among these are “The Fourth Man” and “I Saw a Man”, both described as million-selling songs. His compositions are recorded by a wide range of artists, including Chet Atkins, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, the Statesmen Quartet, the Cathedrals, Al Hirt, Barbara Mandrell, Willie Nelson, the Gatlin Brothers, the Oak Ridge Boys, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Boots Randolph, George Beverly Shea, the Stamps, the Statler Brothers and Ricky Van Shelton.

“Feudin’ Banjos” leads to a landmark copyright case when it appears in the film Deliverance as “Dueling Banjos” without credit, and Smith later receives songwriting credit and back royalties. “Beautiful, Brown Eyes” also leads to legal action after others record it believing it to be public domain. Smith records with Don Reno on “Feudin’ Banjos”, and his work is also recorded or interpreted by Tommy Emmanuel, Frank Virtue and the Virtues. Musicians who are said to be influenced by him include Hank “Sugarfoot” Garland, Roy Clark, Glen Campbell and the Ventures.

Awards and later recognition

Smith receives a long list of honours, including the BMI Song of the Year Award in 1973, a Grammy connection for “Dueling Banjos” as original writer, a Golden Eagle Award, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the North Carolina Award, the North Carolina Folk Heritage Award, the South Carolina Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, and the BMI Legendary Songwriter Award. He is also inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2010.

Smith dies in 2014. His publishing interests, production company and management business are later run by his son Clay Smith, who also collaborates with him on film soundtracks and receives a Grand Prize–First Place award with him for original music at the International Real Life Adventure Film Festival in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.