Country Connections
By James and Ellen Perry
While talking with David Farmer, who partnered with Dr. Bob Wyrick and me on an international radio show called Country Connections, David told me Carl Smith was his inspiration to become a country entertainer and songwriter.
During 1946 and 1947 when David was four or five years old, he and his mother would walk two miles down a dirt road from their home in Powell Valley to Highway 63 and catch a Greyhound bus at 7 a.m. to the LaFollette, Tennessee, Greyhound bus station.
There they would connect with a Greyhound Express to the Knoxville Greyhound terminal. David and his mother would then walk to the Midday Merry-Go-Round and get in line for tickets. David said that every weekday there was long lines of people from the country, city and workplaces waiting in line to watch the show.
This is where Carl Smith, then a young man, was performing regularly. David said Carl left a lasting impression on him, and one day he wanted to sing like Carl.
On the return Greyhound trip home, David would stand in the seat and sing Carl Smith songs to the passengers. Some passengers would give David coins for singing. David said he and his mother would arrive back home around 6 p.m.
The complete trip to the Merry-Go-Round from Powell Valley was about 100 miles plus six miles of walking. David said Carl was very nice to all his fans, would sign autographs until every one was signed and asked David what he could trade him for his overalls.
To this day, David remembers all of the lyrics to some of the songs Carl Smith sang on the Merry-Go-Round. David performed on the Tennessee Barn Dance, The Cas Walker Show and Ciderville, and toured with his band in the southeast U.S.
In 1969, David joined Lefty Frizzell and enjoyed working with Lefty for the next six years until Lefty’s death in 1975. During David’s performing years he wrote many songs and some became big hits.
Chubby Beeler backed Carl Smith several times and said Carl Smith was one of the nicest stars of country music that he ever played for. Don Law signed Carl Smith to a Columbia recording contract in May of 1950. He also worked with Carl on all recording sessions at Columbia and many years later wrote that Carl was very professional and came to all of his recording sessions prepared and ready.
Carl paid his dues for years, starting early in his boyhood playing locally and then at the age of 15 he was playing with the Kitty Dibble Band and at age 17 he worked that summer on Cas Walker’s show. Next Carl joined the Navy during his senior year of high school. A year-and-a-half later he was released from the Navy, returned home and played with a succession of entertainers starting with The Brewster Brothers, Molly O’Day and then Archie Campbell.
Now it’s spring of 1950 and Nashville is calling. WSM 650 AM starts him on a morning radio show six days a week. Next Carl appears on the Grand Ole Opry on April 19, 1950. Then Carl signs a recording contract with Columbia on May 5, 1950. Carl’s first recording session with Columbia was May 11, 1950.
In an early evening in 1950, Carl and the studio musicians, along with Don Law of Columbia, entered Castle Studio at the Tulane Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. The studio was booked from 2 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. During this two-and-a-half recording session, Carl and the musicians recorded four songs.
Number one was “Guilty Conscience” written by Carl Butler; Number two was “I Just Dropped In To Say Goodbye” written by Jimmie Davis. Number three was “My Lonely Hearts Running Wild” written by Mac Carty. Number four was “Washing My Dreams in Tears” written by Speedy Krise.
Carl’s next recording session was July 18, 1950, at Castle Studios in the Tulane Hotel in Nashville. These four songs were recorded with the same studio musicians. Song number two became a Carl Smith standard. Number one was I “Betcha My Heart I Love You” written by Ester Van Seiver, number two “I Overlooked An Orchid” written by Carl Story and Carl Smith, number three ”This Side Of Heaven” by Autry Inman and Carl Smith, number four “I Won’t Be Home” by Autry Inman and Carl Smith.
The studio musicians were Jabbo Arrington - rhythm guitar, Grady Martin - electric guitar, Billy Robinson - steel guitar, and Ernie Newton - bass.
Billy Robinson, who played steel guitar, is still living and is the last steel player to have played with Hank Williams. J.T. Russell, Aaron Russell, Dr. Bob Wyrick and I, James Perry, interviewed and filmed Billy Robinson, and we hope to have it shown on PBS in the future.
After all these years of playing and singing for virtually nothing, Carl had made it.
“Carl had it,” as Ruth White told me.
Ruth, having managed and straightened out almost all of the music publishing companies in Nashville, also managed some of the biggest country music stars and knew all of Nashville’s dark secrets.
Ruth and I became close friends. I helped her write a book, “From the Midday Merry-Go-Round to Ciderville” and with the help of Cheryl Henderson, David Farmer, Dr. Bob Wyrick, David West and his band, and with the great help of Ellen Perry and Ruth’s daughter, Kathleen White, we had a very successful book signing at the East Tennessee Historical Society. The place was packed. Ruth passed away a few weeks later from cancer at her home on the lake at Gallatin, Tennessee.
Ruth told me Carl Smith was a total package—the best-looking man ever in Nashville, always courteous, one of the best country voices ever and one of the best emcees in country music.
Part three to be continued in June issue. Correction to April article - Carl was born March 15, 1927, not March 15, 1923.