Mike Smitty Smith
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Mike "Smitty" Smith | |
|---|---|
 Smith, top left | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Michael Leroy Smith |
| Born | 27 March 1942 Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Died | March 6, 2001 (aged 58) Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States |
| Genres | Pop, rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Drums, guitar |
| Years active | 1962–1972 |
| Labels | Columbia, RCA |
| Formerly of | Paul Revere & the Raiders, Brotherhood, Friendsound |
Mike "Smitty" Smith (born Michael Leroy Smith, March 27, 1942 – March 6, 2001) was an American drummer, guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for his work as a drummer with Paul Revere & the Raiders.
Early life
[edit]Mike Smith was born in Portland, Oregon to Howard and Mildred (Kugler) Smith.[1] His father was a truck driver.[2] He and his older brother Jerry grew up in neighboring Beaverton, and he graduated from Beaverton High School in 1960.[3] Both brothers competed on their high school wrestling team.[4] Smith received his first drum set at age ten.
Career
[edit]The Headless Horseman
[edit]After high school, Smith became part-owner of Portland teen club The Headless Horseman. Along with two friends, Al Dardis and Ross Allemang, he was a member of the club's house band, playing guitar.[5] In 1962, Mark Lindsay and Paul Revere of Paul Revere & the Raiders, had relocated to Portland and were seeking a few musicians to complete their band. They heard about The Headless Horseman and its house band, visited the club, met Smith, and invited him to join as their drummer.[3][6]
Paul Revere & the Raiders
[edit]Smith was the drummer for Paul Revere & the Raiders from 1962 to 1967, and again from 1971 to 1972. The classic line-up of Revere, Lindsay, Smith, Levin, and Volk performed on some of their biggest hits, including "Just Like Me," "Hungry," and "Kicks."[3][10] The group charted a multitude of singles during this period, and three of their albums were certified gold by the RIAA: Just Like Us!, Midnight Ride, and The Spirit of '67.[11] Their 1967 compilation album Greatest Hits also achieved gold certification.
Noted for his "flair for comedy" and "outlandish sense of humor",[3] Smith was an integral component of the group's performance style, a "carefree attitude" that "produced as much laughter as musical appreciation".[12] At the height of the group’s chart success and Where the Action Is media exposure, “Smith was, for a time in the United States, probably the most well-known drummer in rock & roll after Ringo Starr of the Beatles,”[6] and boasted his own fan club.[13]
Brotherhood and Friendsound
[edit]During his hiatus from Paul Revere & the Raiders, he, organist Ron Collins, and ex-Raiders Drake Levin and Phil Volk, formed Brotherhood. The band was signed to RCA, but was hindered by the members' lingering contractual obligations to Columbia Records from their Raiders work. Two albums were released, Brotherhood (1968) and Brotherhood Brotherhood (1969), plus two singles, "Jump Out The Window" (1968) and "Don't Let Go" (1969). A third album, Joyride, followed in 1969 under the name Friendsound. Joyride was an experimental album that was included on the 1979 Nurse with Wound list. All three albums were rereleased on a 2014 CD compilation.
Reunions
[edit]The Raiders classic line-up (Revere, Lindsay, Smith, Levin, and Volk) reunited for a Dick Clark special in 1979. Four of the group, minus Revere, reunited again for a 1997 concert in Portland.[14]
On October 13, 2007, the entire group was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.
Discography
[edit]Paul Revere & the Raiders (1962-1967, 1971-1972)
[edit]- 1963: Paul Revere & the Raiders
- 1965: Here They Come!
- 1966: Just Like Us!
- 1966: Midnight Ride
- 1966: The Spirit of '67
- 1967: Revolution!
- 1967: Greatest Hits
- 1971: Indian Reservation
- 1972: Country Wine
Brotherhood/Friendsound
[edit]- 1968: Brotherhood
- 1969: Brotherhood Brotherhood
- 1969: Joyride
- 2014: Brotherhood/Friendsound: The Complete Recordings
Personal life
[edit]Smith married longtime girlfriend Susan Moore on June 7, 1963, in Stevenson, Washington.[15] They had two children together, Rory and Alexandra.[6]
He met his second wife, Brenda, in Brookings, Oregon, while he was recovering from a car accident. They had two children, Rio and Jenna, before divorcing in 1996.[6]
Smith and his girlfriend Mia Kiemele moved to Hawaii in 1997 where he enjoyed fishing, sailing, and hiking in addition to managing his business, Hot Lava Productions.[1]
Death
[edit]Smith died on March 6, 2001, in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii from internal bleeding.[3] After cremation and a memorial service, his ashes were returned to Portland and subsequently scattered in Hawaii.[16]
External links
[edit]- Mike Smitty Smith at AllMusic
- Mike Smith at Discogs
- Brotherhood at Discogs
- Friendsound at Discogs
- Official website
References
[edit]- ^ a b Thompson, Rod (13 March 2001). "Michael L. Smith, former Paul Revere drummer dies". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ Amans, Mark "Hoss" (2010). Where The Action Was: On the Inside of the Evolution of Rock 'n' Roll. Bloomington, IN: Xlibris. p. 69. ISBN 978-1456815905.
- ^ a b c d e Duchene, Paul. "So long, 'mad wizard', Raiders' drummer Michael 'Smitty' Smith dies in Hawaii". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ 1958 Beaver. Beaverton, Oregon: Valley Publishing Inc. 1958. p. 89.
- ^ Blecha, Peter (2009). Sonic Boom! The History of Northwest Rock: From "Louie Louie" to Smells Like Teen Spirit. New York: Backbeat Books. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-8793-0946-6.
- ^ a b c d Eder, Bruce. "Mike Smith Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ Cianci, Bob (2006). Great Rock Drummers of the Sixties. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard. p. 216. ISBN 978-0634099250.
- ^ Ciccone, Don. "An Interview with Paul Revere and the Raiders' Mark Lindsay". Stereo Embers. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
- ^ Lindsay, Mark (13 March 2019). "Mark Lindsay Post". x.com. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
- ^ Some sources credit session drummer Hal Blaine for the studio drumming on the major Raiders hit recordings,[7] but Mark Lindsay has confirmed that Smith was the drummer.[8][9]
- ^ "Paul Revere & The Raiders". Ed Sullivan Show. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
- ^ Marder, Phill (17 March 2011). "Paul Revere & Raiders Face Long Ride to Hall of Fame". Goldmine. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
- ^ Simmonds, Jeremy (2012). The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Heroin, Handguns, and Ham Sandwiches. Chicago Review Press. p. 445. ISBN 978-1613744789.
- ^ Prince, Patrick (17 August 2015). "Don't discredit Paul Revere and the Raiders". Goldmine. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
- ^ "Smitty's 'Secret'". 16. New York: 16 Magazine, Inc. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons (3rd ed.). Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 699. ISBN 978-1476625997.