The Professional Work of Singer, Songwriter Warren Smith
Warren Smith (Feb. 7, 1932 ~ Jan. 30, 1980): Smith was born in Humphreys County, Mississippi to Iola and Willie Warren Smith, who divorced when he was young. He was raised by his maternal grandparents in Louise, Mississippi where they had a small farm and dry goods store. Smith took up the guitar to while away his evenings while in the United States Air Force stationed in San Antonio, Texas. By the time of his discharge from the service, he had decided to make a career of music. Warren moved to West Memphis, Arkansas and auditioned, successfully, to play the Cotton Club, a local hot spot. Steel guitarist Stan Kessler, who was playing at that nightclub with the Snearly Ranch Boys, immediately spotted Smith's potential and took him to Memphis' famed Sun Records to audition for Sam Phillips, with the Snearly Ranch Boys providing backup.
Phillips liked what he heard, and decided that Rock & Roll Ruby, a song credited to Johnny Cash, would be Smith's first record. Smith recorded that rock and roll classic on February 5, 1956. Phillips, who was hedging his bets over whether rock and roll would maintain its popularity, released that record with a country crooner, aptly named I'd Rather Be Safe Than Sorry, on the flip side. By May 26, Rock & Roll Ruby had hit No. 1 on the local pop charts. Smith's first record for Sun went on to outsell the first Sun releases by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins.
In August 1956, Smith went back to the Sun Records studio to record his second release, Ubangi Stomp. This infectious rocker had an incorrect lyric including an African chief with the syntax of a movie Indian. For the B side, Smith recorded the classic ballad Black Jack David. This song, which originated in early 18th-century Britain and survived in various forms in the mountains of the American south, may be the oldest song ever recorded by a rock and roll performer. Although a resounding artistic success, it did not sell as well as Smith's debut.
In 1957, Smith recorded So Long, I'm Gone, a song written by Roy Orbison, and it did become Smith's biggest hit at Sun, peaking at No. 74 nationally (Billboard). But Sun had no cash to promote it at the same time as Sam Phillips put every dollar Sun had behind Jerry Lee Lewis' Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On. Although Smith continued to make great rockabilly records for Sun, including a rocking cover version of Slim Harpo's Got Love If Your Want It (1957), these records did not do well commercially. Toward the end of 1958, Smith, seeing his future in country music, cut a final record for Sun, a cover version of Don Gibson's Sweet Sweet Girl. However, tthis record also failed to sell and Smith decided to leave Sun Records.
In 1959, Smith and his wife and son moved from Mississippi to California, settling in Sherman Oaks, not far from Johnny and Vivian Cash. Cash offered Smith a spot on his show, but Smith turned it down, seeing himself as a headliner, not a supporting player. In early 1960, Smith signed with Liberty Records, and scored a hit with I Don't Believe I'll Fall in Love Today, which went to No. 5 on the country chart. This record and Smith's subsequent records were produced by Joe Allison and featured Ralph Mooney, on pedal steel guitar.
Smith scored again with his next record for Liberty, Odds and Ends, Bits and Pieces. Liberty had Smith record several more tracks, mostly cover versions of recent country hits, to complete an album called The First Country Collection of Warren Smith.
Smith continued to record with some success for Liberty and to tour with his band, from 1960 – 1965. On August 17, 1965, Smith had a serious car accident in LaGrange, Texas, suffering serious back injuries from which it took him nearly a year to recover. By this time, his contract with Liberty had lapsed. Smith made several attempts to restart his career, first with a small, virtually amateur label called Skill Records, then for Mercury Records; but addictions to pills and alcohol held him back. Eventually, Smith's drug problems led to an 18-month term in an Alabama prison for robbing a pharmacy.
After his release from prison, Smith continued to struggle to restart his career. In the late 1970s, he got a bit of a boost from the rockabilly revival then occurring. In 1977, Warren was invited to appear at London's Rainbow Theatre, on a bill featuring Charlie Feathers, Buddy Knox and Jack Scott. To his shock, Smith was received in London with standing ovations. His reception in England boosted his spirits and, upon his return to the U.S., he began to perform with new-found vigor. In November 1978, Smith and fellow Sun alumnus Ray Smith toured Europe, again to great success. In 1980, while preparing for another European tour, Smith died of a heart attack.
