Floyd's Guitar Blues - Floyd Smith Combo

This guitarist covered much stylistic territory in his long and active career, starting out in wandering '30s territory bands such as Eddie Johnson's Crackerjacks and winding up smack in the middle of the disco era, playing an important part in the career of singer Loleatta Hollaway, whom he married. Smith's father was a drummer; the boy's entry to guitar was a ukulele and after switching up he went to the trouble of studying music theory in high school. During the late '30s the guitarist was a member of the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra and the Sunset Royal Orchestra as well as an outfit known as the Brown Skin Models. Prior to serving overseas during the second World War, Smith also flailed out chord changes behind bandleader Andy Kirk, doing a good enough job that this job was waiting for him when returned to civilian life. Smith began leading his own groups, usually small configurations such as trios. The stepping stone toward his later musical productions was the kind of soul-jazz created by players such as organist Wild Bill Davis. During the early '60s Smith also worked with Bill Doggett, whose funky instrumental recordings became popular hits. A late-'60s profile on this guitarist in John Chilton's Who's Who in Jazz winds up with Smith playing in an Atlantic City duo with Hank Marr, but next on the agenda was starting his own label in Chicago and becoming the first producer to record Holloway, previously a gospel singer. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi

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Floyd's Guitar Blues - Floyd Smith Combo

Floyd Smith (January 25, 1917 – March 29, 1982) was an American jazz guitarist.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Smith studied music theory as a teenager and learned ukelele as a child before taking up guitar. He spent his early career in territory bands, playing in groups such as the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra, the Sunset Royal Orchestra, Eddie Johnson's Crackerjacks, Andy Kirk's band, and the Brown Skin Models. He enlisted during World War II and following the war led his own small ensembles in soul jazz and straight-ahead settings. He played with Bill Doggett early in the 1960s and then with Hank Marr and Wild Bill Davis.

In the 1970s Smith moved into record production, founding a label in Chicago. Among those he produced was disco star Loleatta Holloway; he married Holloway later in the decade.

Smith died in Indianapolis, Indiana in March 1982, at the age of 65
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