Chris Smither: The Bluesman Who Never Sold Out

Originally Posted on April 24, 2026 – Blues For A Big Town

“Smither is an American original – a product of the musical melting pot and one of the absolute best singer-songwriters in the world”

Associated Press

I first became aware of Chris Smither in the early 70’s as a songwriter. Specifically, I came to know of him as the author of a couple of Bonnie Raitt songs: “Love Me Like A Man” and “I Feel The Same”.

Later on, I knew that he played here in Toronto on a number of occasions; but only associating him with those two, (very good), songs wasn’t enough to entice me to put down money to see him.

What sparked my interest in Smither was his role in the Oscar winning short film The Singers. As was the case with other featured performers, he had a short time onscreen. But, given the opportunity, he laid down a fine impromptu rendition of “House Of The Rising Sun”. I was now intrigued and wanted to know more about this extraordinary artist

It turns out he’s been making records for 50+ years displaying his writing, singing, and guitar playing chops on 20 albums for a number of labels. There’s also a songwriter’s tribute album containing 15 Smither songs interpreted by a variety of musicians. 

William Christopher Smither was born in 1944 in Miami and grew up in New Orleans.

He’s the product of a somewhat academic household in that his father was a much admired, high profile Tulane University professor. His parents instilled a strong work ethic in young Chris. And, although not stated or implied as important by his parents, Smither felt the need to be successful and live up to his father. Through it all, Smither remembers his childhood as a happy one.

Music was an interest, and when Smither was 9 years old his uncle gave him his first music lessons on Chris’ mother’s ukulele. Smither, an entertaining and articulate conversationalist, describes those early lessons in his own inimitable way: “Uncle Howard showed me that if you knew three chords, you could play a lot of the songs you heard on the radio. And if you learned four chords, you could pretty much rule the world”. Armed with this new found wisdom, Smither dove headlong into learning to play the guitar. (As an aside, Chris also tried his hand at piano but it was all for naught. In Smither’s words, it didn’t take”.)

Chris was heavily into Folk music when he was first introduced to Houston Bluesman Lightnin’ Hopkins at 17. It was a revelation! Smither described the experience this way: 

Smither developed his own distinctive beat driven finger picking style based on what he heard and digested. And he learned to play integrating his rhythmic tapping feet – that he always mic’s in performance, (to somewhat replicate Hopkins’ stomping on a Coke crate to keep time).

Chris was studying anthropology at university when he first made the trek to the Boston / Cambridge area, that stood as a hotbed of Folk music in the early to mid sixties. There he made the acquaintance of singer songwriter and Folk singer Eric Von Schmidt. It was Von Schmidt, an unsung driving force in the local Folk scene, who convinced Smither to move to Boston to help fulfill his dreams of being a full time musician.

Heeding von Schmidt’s advice, Smither left his studies behind; and made the move in 1966.

Upon arrival, Chris immediately got work at the various cafes and coffee houses that the scene had to offer. He also established friendships with other artists, including Bonnie Raitt, that continue to endure to present day.

Smither’s first two albums I’m A Stranger Too (1970) and Don’t Drag It On (1972) on Poppy Records were reasonably received as career starters; but a problem arose when recording his third album, Honeysuckle Dog, in 1972-73. That is, United Artists absorbed Poppy, didn’t release the recording, and abruptly dropped Smither, (along with others), from their roster.

It’s rather unfortunate that it wasn’t initially released as planned on a couple of levels. Firstly, are the merits of the album itself. Honeysuckle Dog showed an artistic leap forward from Smither’s first two releases, and set the tone for future Smither recordings. With contributions from an all-star cast, (including Lowell George and Dr. John), the album kicks off with the radio friendly “Sunshine Lady” and winds its way through some outstanding covers: “Guilty” (Randy Newman), “It Ain’t Easy” (long associated with Bettye LaVette), Danny O’Keefe’s “Steel Guitar”, and a moving rendition of Bessie Smith’s “Jailhouse Blues”, that closes out the album.

**Honeysuckle Dog was eventually released in its’ original form on the Okra-Tone imprint in 2004.The album is now a collector’s item

Outside of the merits of the album, another matter that arose in the aftermath of the non release of “HD”, and the parting of ways with UA, was the negative impact on Smither’s career.

It was a momentum killer. Without a label, a record to tour behind, and resultant lack of representation, Smither\s career stalled. It’s left to speculation as to Smither’s state of mind, but what is clear is that he turned to alcohol to ease the pain. While Smither would play the occasional date, he didn’t record. And, for all intents and purposes, Chris stepped away from the music business in the following 10 plus years that It took him to achieve sobriety. Chris Smither has now been sober since 1985

The year 1985 also marked Smither’s return to recording, to the delight of fans and critics alike, with the somewhat minimalist It Ain’t Easy. The album is the start of a string of consistently satisfying recordings that feature Smither’s evolved distillation of Folk and Blues forms, and his weighty songwriting.

Of the twin pillars of Folk and Blues that serve as the foundation of his distinctive style, Smither said: “I think I’ve expanded them; I’m not sure you would really call what I do Folk or Blues anymore”. His style may be unique but so too is his method of songwriting. What’s interesting – at least to me – is his approach to the task at hand. Rarely does Chris set out to write a certain type of song or one with a specific subject matter. Instead, in a creative moment, he lets the song take him in whatever direction it leads him. And, he claims that his songs are open to interpretation as a result of this process as stated.

Regardless of how his sound has unfolded, Smither’s nationwide touring in support of a succession of coherent and critically acclaimed albums has established him as a force to be reckoned with on the musical landscape. The various releases have numerous high points to recommend them. Saying that, my personal favourite is Honeysuckle Dog. And the following would round out my remaining preferences (listed in chronological order): Another Way To Find You (1991), Happier Blue (1993), Up on The Lowdown (1995), Live As I’ll Ever Be (2000), Train Home (2003), Leave The Light On (2006). I suggest that readers who are interested have a listen to more than just those cited. Having said that, at minimum, my picks will provide a lasting impression of Chris Smither’s mastery of his intertwined skills of singing, playing, and songwriting.

Mr. Smither is coming to Toronto again in *June. Based on what I’ve learned and heard, you can bet that I won’t be passing up the opportunity to catch him this time around.

*Unfortunately i am posting this in July, but the original post was posted in June on the Blues For A Big Town blog. If you were fortunate enough to be at that performance please tell us about it in the comments – Joe

Chris Smither Playlist

Rico Ferrara