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Some musicians consider professionalism to be synonymous with regimentation - from set lists to set times, everything must be by-the-book to work. And then there's Byther Smith, no less a professional than the stick-to-the-script types. In fact, his professionalism far exceeds that of many others; forty-plus years of performing and several world tours attest to his accomplishments. But rather than work off set lists, Smith lives for the moment. "A lot of musicians worry too much about performing," he said in a recent telephone interview. "But when I go up on the bandstand, my whole body opens up to play. And I forget the stage when I step down."
This trance-like separation leads Smith into the true, live-for-the-moment passion of blues music. "I just let it come, and let it go - I never know what song I'm going to do next," he said. But Smith's performance style makes for some difficult moments, too. "When I go into the studio, the guys in the band need to know the songs - I'll just tell them what I want to play." Smith also recalled a performance in Europe, where after the show he was asked what songs he had played. "I told them that they would know better than I would," he joked. "I never practice to remember the names of the songs."In spite of his lack of song title recall, Smith has developed into a prolific songwriter. "I write songs to make people see and hear the ideas in my head," he said. "They may not be things that have happened to me, or to someone I know, but they may happen tomorrow."
Smith's life story isn't without several memorable episodes, however. Born in Mississippi, Smith traveled west through Texas into Arizona; while in his teens he played bass in a country & western band, drove cattle trucks, and began to develop a career as a boxer. "I loved boxing so well," he said. "I felt I was born to be a champion. I was never afraid - never felt no one could whup me." Smith had 68 straight amateur wins before his career came to an abrupt stop. "Just one time I let my big head carry me," he recalled. "I had a big fight on Friday, but instead of resting, I went out Thursday night. I partied with five girls and spent the whole night up. After that, I went straight to the gym - but my whole body was asleep. They worked me over before the fight , and I felt pretty good going into the ring. But that first punch put my whole body to sleep. I got back up - seven times in the first round. I couldn't tell where I was at, but they coundn't keep me down."
Smith had been boxing with a forged consent form; when his aunt found out about Smith's side job, she forced the manager to tear up the contract. Angry with her, he stormed out, not stopping until arriving in Chicago. "It bothers me that I didn't ever make up with her," he lamented. "God's witness, I hated her at the time. But now I know better." These experiences inspired Smith to draft an autobiography. "I wasn't looking for anything - I'm just explaining what people never knew about me," he said. "
One question many blues fans may have is why Smith hasn't achieved greater success. Some of it stems from Smith's emphasis on touring abroad, at the expense of domestic tours. "Until the last two years or so, most of my touring was out of the country - to Europe, Russia, Australia, South America, and Japan, as many as three trips a year," he said. "When you go and stay from six weeks to three months, there's not much time left to tour here." But while homegrown praises have been building for Smith recently, he has kept his humility. "It's great to hear those things, but I've really never give it much thought. I'm just a regular person."
That self-evaluation may be open to dispute - on more than one occasion, Smith has shown determination beyond the ordinary. "I broke my hand about seven years ago, and they told me I couldn't play for months. But I taught myself to play the guitar upside down," he said. "And when I healed up, I had to relearn how to play it the other way. I never missed a night's work." Faith is a poweful resource for Smith, he declares. "My talent is something God gave me, and I take life as it comes," he said. "My music is just a form of self-expression. When I get on the bandstand, it doesn't matter if there are three people there, or a big house - I'll play just as hard." |
