R.I.P. Johnny Smith

Cartwright Thompson · Post by **Cartwright Thompson** » 13 Jun 2013 3:35 pm

Very sad news. As Barney Kessel said of Johnny: " As far as I'm concerned, no one in the world plays the guitar better than he. They might play it differently, but nobody plays better".

Billy Easton · Post by **Billy Easton** » 13 Jun 2013 5:07 pm

Sad indeed....I have been an admirer of his work for over 50 years. He will be missed.

Billy Easton

William Lake · Post by **William Lake** » 13 Jun 2013 6:43 pm

I'm going to shut down the computer and go and play Moonlight in Vermont (with a bit of a tear in my eye).

Here's a clip of four songs from his Walk Don't Run album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HwQxdr ... obhuQ9BKWg

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 14 Jun 2013 4:28 am

One of the very first times I played out was a talent contest in England. I won and the song I played was Moonlight In Vermont. For years after that, until I gave it up, I played it every night before the gig to check out my 6th neck. I never got to his level but he surely inspired me to do my best. One might say I did it for him as a way of saying thank you !!

Larry Lorows · Post by **Larry Lorows** » 14 Jun 2013 4:32 am

He and Howard Roberts, were always my favorite guitar players. There were others, but these two were the best. Larry

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 14 Jun 2013 5:26 pm

Nobody played plectrum guitar with more beauty and musicality than Johnny. His improvising was particularly pure and uncluttered and his sol arrangements were impeccable.He left NY at the height of his career to raise his daughter. Johnny was a gentleman on the fretboard and in his life. RIP.

Richard Damron · Post by **Richard Damron** » 16 Jun 2013 9:29 pm

The absolute first album that I ever bought was his "Moonlight In Vermont". Although it has been remastered and digitized on CD, I lost that very same album in the fire in my house last week.

RIP, Johnny. I've enjoyed everything that you've ever done.

Richard

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 17 Jun 2013 3:32 am

Richard Damron wrote:The absolute first album that I ever bought was his "Moonlight In Vermont". Although it has been remastered and digitized on CD, I lost that very same album in the fire in my house last week.

RIP, Johnny. I've enjoyed everything that you've ever done.

Richard

When you're situated and have yourself a record player, you're welcome to my copy.

Ray Harrison · Post by **Ray Harrison** » 17 Jun 2013 7:42 am

My favorite guitar player. Such a loss. He had such class in his playing, played everything needed, but no overplaying.
Rest in Peace Johnny and may your survivors find peace also.

Rick Schmidt · Post by **Rick Schmidt** » 17 Jun 2013 8:41 am

God bless Johnny Smith! When I was a teen, I use to take the bus from South Denver to Colorado Springs to take a few lessons with him at his music store. Let's just say he was a very patient man!

He eventually referred me to the great Dale Bruning, who was also a fantastic guitar teacher a little closer to me. (Dale often played bass for Johnny at his weekly gig at Shaner's Lounge in downtown Denver, and also taught Bill Frisell). Johnny's playing was as clear and clean as a Colorado creek running off the snow capped Rockies. He was absolutely one of the special people to bless us with his soul infused musical gift. R.I.P.

Richard Damron · Post by **Richard Damron** » 17 Jun 2013 1:27 pm

Mike Neer -

My thanks for the offer. I may have salvaged the remastered CD that I had. Haven't had the time to check out what CD's survived. Ya ever seen 200 pieces of grilled vinyl sandwiched with cardboard? Yup. Turns yer stomach. Most were 45 to almost 60 years old. Can't replace them. Got a helluva lot of memories in having seen the best in NYC, though.

Since it was Johnny that got me hooked on guitar circa 1954, that particular one held special meaning.

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 24 Jun 2013 4:10 pm

Most of y'all know but,for the benefit of those that don't,Johnny wrote the monster Ventures' hit,"Walk,Don't Run". He probably didn't appreciate the arrangement of it at first but,I'm sure he "changed his tune" when the royalty checks started flyin' in.

Joe Naylor · Post by **Joe Naylor** » 25 Jun 2013 4:56 pm

A huge loss and Smiley I heard him introduced as MR. Walk Don't Run - and the emcee said "Nuff Said"

After he played for a while that same emcee came back up and said that he simply could not say any more the first time.

Great guitar player does not seem to be enough.

Joe Naylor
www.steelseat.com

Bob Watson · Post by **Bob Watson** » 25 Jun 2013 10:15 pm

Johnny Smith has been one of my favorite Guitar players since I was a teenager. I finally got to see him play in Vail Colorado in the mid 1980's. He put on a wonderful performance. Coincidentally, I just found out today that a great Guitar player from Pueblo Colorado, Bobby Montoya, passed away last January. Bobby had taken lessons off of Johnny Smith at a very young age and was an excellent Guitarist. Check out Johnny Smith's version of Shenandoah. IMHO, its the best version I've ever heard. May he RIP.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_bJUJuvSSo

Dr. Hugh Jeffreys · Post by **Dr. Hugh Jeffreys** » 26 Jun 2013 6:47 pm

I attended a club in Miami where Johnny,a drummer and a bass man kept us "paralyzed" for the full 6 hr gig. On his break, he showed me how he retuned his guitar to play 4 part closed harmony like on his album--MOONLIGHT IN VERMONT. He never played much again after loosing some of his fingers in hisplane. Al Vescovo studied with Johnny several years before moving on to the west coast.

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 27 Jun 2013 10:59 am

Remember going into his store once in the early '70s with my beat up old prewar Washburn archtop with a hole in the back and its top caving in. Johnny said "son, it's time to start looking for a new guitar." A great player and a very nice man. RIP,Mr. Smith. (Still playing that old Washburn, by the way!)

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 27 Jun 2013 6:42 pm

Truly one of the great guitarists of all time. His close harmonies and moving voices are spectacular. I always got the feeling he knew exactly what he wanted in his head and did whatever it took to get it to come out of the guitar.

RIP, Johnny Smith.

Michael Breid · Post by **Michael Breid** » 2 Jul 2013 5:11 pm

I saw Johnny live at a little bar in Denver back in the early sixties. His playing was so flawless. His guitar ride on Bye Bye Blackbird on the Perfect Match album with Art Van Damme still knocks me out when I hear it.

Michael Douchette · Post by **Michael Douchette** » 4 Jul 2013 12:17 pm

When I was with Tammy Wynette, we were in Colorado Springs, and David Sloas and I went to Johnny's store. He was there, we met; he was incredibly gracious, friendly, and more than willing to talk and share his knowledge with us. He showed me a chord inversion that I have showed many guitar players since. His hands were so massive... the stretch was NO stretch for him.

A true gentleman. Sad to hear of his passing.

Cartwright Thompson · Post by **Cartwright Thompson** » 5 Jul 2013 3:40 am

Dr. Hugh Jeffreys wrote:I attended a club in Miami where Johnny,a drummer and a bass man kept us "paralyzed" for the full 6 hr gig. On his break, he showed me how he retuned his guitar to play 4 part closed harmony like on his album--MOONLIGHT IN VERMONT. He never played much again after loosing some of his fingers in hisplane. Al Vescovo studied with Johnny several years before moving on to the west coast.

Just for the record, Johnny didn't loose any fingers and his retuning was simply dropping his sixth string to a D.

Dr. Hugh Jeffreys · Post by **Dr. Hugh Jeffreys** » 7 Jul 2013 5:44 pm

When Albert and Norma Jean visted us a few years back, he said that JS told him he still had no feeling in the ends of the affected fingers and, consequently played very little. BTW Thanks for the E string info, but I already had the tuning.

Michael Breid · Post by **Michael Breid** » 8 Jul 2013 3:37 pm

Mundell Lowe uses the "Drop D" tuning exclusively. I'm told that Carl Kress tuned his guitar is fifths that allowed him to get those deep bass notes when comping behind another guitarist. All the good ones are going. Get out and see them live anytime you can.

The Steel Guitar Forum

R.I.P. Johnny Smith

R.I.P. Johnny Smith

Big loss