Pinetop Smith

Clarence "Pinetop" Smith (born January 11, 1904 in Orion, Pike County; died March 15, 1929 in Chicago, Illinois) was a boogie-woogie and blues pianist, best known for his 1928 recording of "Pine Top's Boogie Woogie."

Smith was born in Troy, but was raised in Birmingham. He earned his nickname as a child for his habit of climbing trees. He began working as a pianist for house parties and the like in Birmingham and was soon touring as a singer, pianist and comedian in minstrel shows and on the T.O.B.A. vaudeville circuit. He moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1920 and, at various times accompanied Ma Rainey or Butterbeans and Susie.

In the mid-1920s Cow Cow Davenport recommended him to J. Mayo Williams of Vocalion Records in Chicago. Smith moved there with his wife and son to record, sharing a rooming house with Albert Ammons and Meade "Lux" Lewis. Ammons and Pete Johnson credited Smith as a key influence in the emerging "boogie woogie" style. He recorded his "Pine Top's Boogie Woogie" during a session on December 29, 1928. The title of the hit song helped popularize the style, and give it a name.

Smith was shot to death during a dance-hall melee in Chicago in March 1929, just a day before he was to record another session for Vocalion. Down Beat magazine reported the story under the headline "I saw Pinetop spit blood."

"Pine Top's Boogie Woogie" was re-introduced to the public in 1938 by Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra. Following World War II, Dorsey's recording became a best-seller and the tune was re-recorded by Bing Crosby. Joe Willie Perkins' 1950 re-recording became so famous that the singer's name changed to Pinetop Perkins. Over time, Perkins often received credit for originating Smith's tune.

Smith was posthumously inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1991.

References

• Silvester, Peter J. (1989) A Left Hand Like God : a history of boogie-woogie piano, pp. 66-73
• Du Noyer, Paul (2003) The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing ISBN 1904041965 p. 165
• Edwards, James (Fall 2007) Western Pennsylvania History. pp. 6-7

External links

• Pinetop Smith at allmusic.com

Clarence "Pine Top" Smith on redhotjazz.com