Byther Smith

Born in Monticello, Mississippi, United States, Smith's early music experiences revolved around gospel music.[4] Orphaned, Smith was brought up by his uncle and aunt.[5] In his teenage years he moved to Arizona to work on a cattle ranch and played in a country and western band on weekends.[4] He worked in construction and local farmhands taught him to play the double bass.[5] Around this time Smith showed an interest in boxing, so his aunt bought Smith an electric bass guitar to encourage him to follow a musical path instead.[5]

Smith migrated to Chicago in the mid-1950s with his wife, Etta Mae.[5] In the early 1960s he began performing in clubs, learning guitar from J. B. Lenoir (his first cousin who had encouraged him to migrate[5]), Robert Lockwood, Jr., and Hubert Sumlin.[3] He worked regularly as rhythm guitarist for Otis Rush.[5] During this period he recorded a number of singles with labels such as Bea & Baby, Cruise and Apex but in 1965 returned to his gospel roots with a group called the Gospel Travellers.[4] In the 1970s he joined the house band at Theresa’s Tavern where he worked for five years, often playing with Junior Wells.[4][5] In 1974 he recorded various tracks with Sunnyland Slim for Slim's later album 'She Got A Thing Goin' On'.[6] In the late 1970s, Smith toured with the likes of Big Mama Thornton and George "Harmonica" Smith.[5]

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.[7] In 1995, Smith retired from his job at Economy Folding Box Company after twenty-five years, allowing him to focus fully on music. Smith retired from touring in 2015.[6]

Delmark Records boss Bob Koester observed, "There's a mellowness there that is disappearing in all but B.B. King".[7]

Byther Smith died in Chicago on September 10, 2021, aged 89.[8]

• 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)

• 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)