Fiddlin 'Arthur Smith

Fiddlin 'Arthur Smith

"Fiddlin '" Arthur Smith (born April 10, 1898 in Humphreys County , Tennessee , † February 28, 1971 in Louisville , Kentucky ) was an old-time musician and fiddler who had his greatest success in the 1930s.

Life

Childhood and youth

Arthur Smith grew up on a farm in the mountainous regions of Tennessee . Smith bought his first fiddle for $ 6.50 for which he had to sell all of his chickens. At the age of 16 he married his 15-year-old girlfriend; in the same year the First World War broke out. In his youth, Smith was a member of various local bands along with his wife who played guitar .

Career

With his wife Nettie, his cousin Homer and Floyd Ethredge, who would later work with the Crook Brothers , Smith continued to play in his home region. In 1921 he moved to Dickenson , where he got a job on the railroad. For professional reasons he traveled across the USA and met many musicians who influenced him during this time. In Nashville , he began to take part in fiddle competitions. This was George D. Hay's attention to him, who hired him for his show, the Grand Ole Opry . Smith's first appearance on the Opry was on December 23, 1927. In the following years he rose there to one of the most popular artists; together with his cousin Homer, he held most of the appearances in the Opry alongside DeFord Bailey . In the early 1930s he fell out with his cousin and performed solo again.

Shortly afterwards he founded the Dixieliners with the brothers Kirk and Sam McGee . After a pianist and his daughter Lavotte had joined the group, the popularity of the Dixieliner increased rapidly. Smith hired a manager to plan their tours and performances. Occasionally they also appeared with the Opry stars Uncle Dave Macon and the Delmore Brothers .

Smith's collaboration with the Delmore Brothers began around 1934, and in the same year he made his first records with the brothers at Gennett Records . Their first session took place in New Orleans , where he recorded two of his most famous songs, Blackbery Blossom and Red Apple Rag . The next year a second session was held for RCA Victor , which resulted in the hit There's More Pretty Girls Than One . All records were sold as The Arthur Smith Trio on Victor's sub-label Bluebird Records .

The constant tours, the many appearances in the Opry and the recording of the records made Smith to create. At the end of the 1930s he got his first alcohol problems. While on tour, he and other musicians disturbed a drunken fiddle competition and was imprisoned for a few days. The Opry banned him from broadcasting for a long time and his popularity slowly declined. After working with the Tennessee Valley Boys in the early 1940s , Smith moved to Shreveport , Louisiana , where he appeared with the Shelton Brothers on KWKH.

After his last Bluebird session, which he held with the young Bill Monroe , he was a member of his daughter's band for a long time. In the next few years, Smith worked primarily as a background musician for various artists such as Jimmy Wakely , Gene Autry and Rex Griffin . He also published two songbooks, Songs From The Hills Of Tennessee and Arthur Smith's Original Song Folio No.1 .

Later years and death

In the 1950s, Smith worked as a carpenter in Nashville to make a living. Hillbilly music was no longer in demand, rockabilly and rock 'n' roll dominated the music scene. In the 1960s he began to appear again due to the folk revival and released an album with the McGee Brothers. He made his last public appearance in 1969.

Fiddlin 'Arthur Smith died on February 28, 1971 at the age of 73. He was buried in McEwen, Tennessee.

Discography

Many Bluebird records have also been released by Montgomery Ward . All tracks on Bluebird were usually recorded with the Dixie Liners or the Delmore Brothers.

year	title	Remarks
Bluebird Records
1935	Fiddler's Dream / Mocking Bird
1935	Spring Street Waltz / Lost Train Blues
1935	Blackberry Blossom / Smith's Waltz
1935	Red Apple Rag / Doing The Goofus
1936	There's More Pretty Girls Than One / Chitlin 'Cookin' Time In Cheetham
1936	Dixon County Blues / Cheatham County Breakdown
1936	Blue Waltz / Fiddler's Waltz	A-side from the Dixie Ramblers
1936	Little Darling They've Takne You Away / Take Me Back To Tennessee
1937	Florida Blues / Straw Breakdown
1937	Never Alone / There's More Pretty Girls Than One, Pt. 2
1937	Girl I Love Don't Pay Me No Mind / Love Letters	B-side from the Delmore Brothers
1937	Singing The House Of David Blues / Sugar Tree Stomp
1937	It's Hard To Please Your Mistress / Little Darling
1937	Sweet Heaven / Lonesome For You
1937	Beautiful Memories / Beautiful Mabel Clare
1937	Beautiful Brown Eyes / Across The Blue Ridge Mountains
1937	I'm Bound To Ride / Nellie's Blue Eyes
1937	Cheatham County Breakdown, Pt.2 / Dickinson County Blues, Pt.2
1938	Answer To More Pretty Girls Than One / I Stood On The Bridge At Midnight	B-side from the Delmore Brothers
1938	More Like His Das Every Day / Henpecked Husband Blues	A-side from the Delmore Brothers
1938	Indian Creek / Smith's Rag
1938	Her Little Brown Hand / Lonesome Day Today	B-side with from Delmore Brothers
1938	Goodbye False Heart / Lost Love	with Delmore Brothers [?]
1938	Gypsy's Warning / The Farmer's Daughter
1938	Why Should I Wonder / In The Pines
1938	Give Me That Old-Time Music / I've Had A Big Time Today
1938	When The Roses Grow Around The Cabin Door / I'm Lonesome I Guess
1939	Goin 'Down Town / Hesitating Blues
1939	Paris Waltz / Freight Train Moan
1940	Kansas City Stompers / It's A Weary World
1940	Smith's Rag / The Crazy Blues
1940	That's The Love I Have For You / Peacock Rag
1940	I Wish I'd Never Learned To Love You / Bill Cheathan

Web links

• Fiddlin 'Arthur Smith on Allmusic (English)
• Fiddlin 'Arthur Smith on Hillbilly-Music.com (English)