Cal Smith
Cal Smith | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Calvin Grant Shofner |
Born | Gans, Oklahoma, U.S. | April 7, 1932
Died | October 10, 2013 Branson, Missouri, U.S. | (aged 81)
Genres | Country |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
Years active | 1955-1957-1966-2013 |
Labels | Kapp, Decca, MCA, Soundwaves, Step One |
Calvin Grant Shofner (April 7, 1932 – October 10, 2013),[1] known professionally as Cal Smith, was an American country musician, most famous for his 1974 hits "Country Bumpkin" and "It's Time to Pay the Fiddler".
Career
Calvin Grant Shofner was born on April 7, 1932, in
After his discharge, he began playing in a band in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1961, country music legend Ernest Tubb heard the band play and, after an audition, hired Smith to play guitar for the Texas Troubadours. Thus, Smith is heard playing in most of Tubb's 1960s recordings. His first solo single was "Tear Stained Pillow" / "Eleven Long Years" on the local Plaid label. Smith's stage name began to catch on after he released his second solo single, "I'll Just Go Home", in 1966 for Kapp Records, and he first cracked the Billboard chart with his second single, "The Only Thing I Want".[2]
Smith permanently parted ways with Tubb and the Texas Troubadours in 1969 and he released his first solo album, Drinking Champagne, in 1969.[8] The album's title track had reached the Top 40 on the country chart the previous year, and was later a Top 10 hit for George Strait in 1990.
In 1970, Smith signed with
Later career
Smith continued to have success with MCA Records into the late 1970s including the Top 20 singles "Between Lust And Watching TV" (1974), "She Talked A Lot About Texas" (1975), "I Just Came Home To Count The Memories" (1977), and "Come See About Me" (1977).[8] After this he continued to have minor successes that included "The Rise And Fall Of The Roman Empire" in 1979.[2]
Smith released his last album, Stories of Life by Cal Smith, in 1986 on Step One Records,[8] where he scored a minor hit that year with "King Lear".[2]
Personal life
In 1977, Smith joined entrepreneur
Smith and his wife, Darlene, lived in the Branson, Missouri area.
Smith died in Branson on October 10, 2013. He is survived by Darlene, his son Calvin, five grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a son, Jimmie Todd.[1]
Discography
Albums
Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Country | US | AUS[10] | |||
1966 | All the World Is Lonely Now | 40 | — | — | Kapp |
1967 | Goin' to Cal's Place | 31 | — | — | |
1968 | Travelin' Man | 34 | — | — | |
At Home with Cal | — | — | — | ||
Drinking Champagne | 33 | — | — | ||
1969 | Cal Smith Sings | 34 | 170 | — | |
1970 | Country Hit Parade | — | — | — | |
1971 | The Best of Cal Smith | 41 | — | — | |
1972 | I've Found Someone of My Own | 5 | 191 | — | Decca |
1973 | Cal Smith | 20 | — | — | MCA |
1974 | Country Bumpkin | 4 | — | 50 | |
1975 | It's Time to Pay the Fiddler | 8 | — | — | |
My Kind of Country | 17 | — | — | ||
1976 | Jason's Farm | 16 | — | — | |
1977 | I Just Came Home to Count the Memories | 38 | — | — | |
1986 | Stories of Life | — | — | — | Step One |
1998 | Cal Smith | — | — | — | First Generation |
Singles
Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Country[2] | CAN Country | AUS[10] | |||
1966 | "Silver Dew On the Bluegrass Tonight" | — | — | — | single only |
1967 | "The Only Thing I Want" | 58 | — | — | All the World Is Lonely Now |
"I'll Never Be Lonesome with You" | 61 | — | — | Goin' to Cal's Place | |
"I'll Sail My Ship Alone" | — | — | — | ||
1968 | "Destination Atlanta G.A." | 60 | — | — | Travelin' Man |
"Jacksonville" | 58 | — | — | At Home with Cal | |
"Drinking Champagne" | 35 | — | — | Drinking Champagne | |
1969 | "Empty Arms" | — | — | — | |
"It Takes All Night Long" | 51 | — | — | Cal Smith Sings | |
"You Can't Housebreak a Tomcat" | 55 | — | — | The Best of Cal Smith | |
1970 | "Heaven Is Just a Touch Away" | 47 | — | — | |
"The Difference Between Going and Really Gone" | 70 | — | — | ||
1971 | "That's What It's Like to Be Lonesome" | 58 | 41 | — | I've Found Someone of My Own |
"Free Streets" | — | — | — | singles only | |
"Save My Wife" | — | — | — | ||
1972 | "I've Found Someone of My Own" | 4 | 13 | — | I've Found Someone of My Own |
"For My Baby" | 58 | — | — | ||
1973 | "The Lord Knows I'm Drinking"A | 1 | 2 | — | |
"I Can Feel the Leavin' Coming On" | 25 | 39 | — | Cal Smith | |
"I've Loved You All Over the World" | flip | — | — | ||
"Bleep You" | 63 | — | — | ||
"An Hour and a Six-Pack" | flip | 95 | — | ||
1974 | "Country Bumpkin" | 1 | 2 | 23 | Country Bumpkin |
"Between Lust and Watching TV" | 11 | 15 | 62 | ||
1975 | "It's Time to Pay the Fiddler" | 1 | 1 | — | It's Time to Pay the Fiddler |
"She Talked a Lot About Texas" | 13 | 5 | — | ||
"Jason's Farm" | 12 | 7 | — | Jason's Farm | |
1976 | "Thunderstorms" | 33 | 22 | — | |
"MacArthur's Hand" | 43 | 47 | — | ||
"Woman Don't Try to Sing My Song" | 38 | — | — | I Just Came Home to Count the Memories | |
1977 | "I Just Came Home to Count the Memories" | 15 | 10 | — | |
"Come See About Me" | 23 | 47 | — | ||
"Helen" | 53 | — | — | singles only | |
1978 | "Throwin' Memories On the Fire" | 51 | — | — | |
"I'm Just a Farmer" | 73 | — | — | ||
"Bits and Pieces of Life" | 68 | — | — | ||
1979 | "The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire" | 71 | — | — | |
"One Little Skinny Rib" | 91 | 42 | — | ||
"The Room at the Top of the Stairs" | 92 | — | — | ||
1982 | "If I Ever Need a Lady" (w/ Billy Parker) | 53 | — | — | |
"Too Many Irons in the Fire" (w/ Billy Parker) | 68 | — | — | ||
1986 | "I Know It's Not Over" | — | — | — | Stories of Life |
"King Lear" | 75 | — | — | ||
1998 | "The Arizona Whiz" | — | — | — | Cal Smith |
Awards
- 1974 — Academy of Country Music - Song of the Year
- 1974 — Country Music Association - Song of the Year
- 1974 — Country Music Association - Single of the Year
- 2007 - Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame - Inductee
References
- ^ a b "Country Singer Cal Smith Dies". OzarksFirst.com. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
- ^ a b Dauphin, Chuck (October 11, 2013). "'Country Bumpkin' Singer Cal Smith Dies at 81". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
- ^ a b "Cal Smith, voice of 'Country Bumpkin' and other hits, dies at age 81". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on 2013-10-14. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ a b Ragusa, Tammy (October 11, 2013). "'Country Bumpkin' Singer Cal Smith Dies at 81". Country Weekly. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
- ^ Cooper, Peter (October 11, 2013). "Cal Smith, voice of 'Country Bumpkin,' dies at age 81". USA Today. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
- Allmusic. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-726-6.
- ISBN 1886371334
- ^ ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
External links
- Cal Smith at IMDb
- Cal Smith at CMT.com