Cal Smith
Encyclopedia
Calvin Grant Shofner known professionally as Cal Smith, is an American
country
musician
, most famous for his 1974
hit "Country Bumpkin
."
, Oklahoma
, and was raised in Oakland, California
. He began his music career performing at the Remember Me Cafe in San Francisco at the age of 15, but he was not financially successful at first. Throughout the 1950s, he was not able to continue his music career, so he worked at various other jobs, including truck driving and bronco busting
. He appeared on the California Hayride television show in the mid-1950s before serving two years in the military.
After his discharge, he began playing in a band in the San Francisco Bay Area
. In 1961
, country music
legend Ernest Tubb
heard the band play and, after an audition, hired Smith to play guitar for the Texas Troubadours. Thus, Smith is heard playing in most of Tubb's 1960s recordings. His first solo single was 'Tear Stained Pillow/Eleven Long Years on the local Plaid label. (Mint copies are valued at $25). Smith's stage name began to catch on after he released his second solo single, "I'll Just Go Home," in 1966
for Kapp Records
, and he first cracked the Billboard charts
with his second single, "The Only Thing I Want."
Smith permanently parted ways with Tubb and the Texas Troubadours in 1969
, and he released his first solo album, Drinking Champagne, in 1969. The album's title track had reached the Top 40 on the country charts the previous year.
In 1970
, Smith signed with Decca Records
, and his popularity quickly soared, starting off with his 1972 top 10 hit, "I've Found Someone of My Own." He began recording songs written by some of the biggest names in the industry; for instance, in March 1973
his rendition of Bill Anderson's
"The Lord Knows I'm Drinking
" became his first number-one country hit. When Decca became MCA Records
in 1973, Cal enjoyed his biggest successes. In 1974
, he recorded two of his greatest hits, "It's Time to Pay the Fiddler
" and "Country Bumpkin," which received Song of the Year Awards from both the Academy of Country Music
and the Country Music Association
.
into the late 70's including the Top 20 singles "Between Lust And Watching TV" (1974), "She Talked A Lot About Texas" (1975), "I Just Came Home To Count The Memories" (1977), and "Come See About Me" (1977). After this he continued to have minor successes that included "The Rise And Fall Of The Roman Empire" in 1979.
Smith released his last album, Stories of Life by Cal Smith, in 1986
on Step One Records
, where he scored a minor hit that year with "King Lear".
, Missouri
area, where they pass a great deal of their time fishing.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, most famous for his 1974
1974 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1974.-Events:* March 16 — The Grand Ole Opry moves from the Ryman Auditorium, its home of the past 41 years, to the newly constructed 4,400 Grand Ole Opry House, on the Opryland complex. President Richard Nixon is a guest...
hit "Country Bumpkin
Country Bumpkin (song)
"Country Bumpkin" is a 1974 single by Cal Smith. "Country Bumpkin" was Cal Smith's second number one on the country chart. The single stayed at number one for a single week and spent a total of ten weeks on the country chart. Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn recorded a duet that peaked in the top...
."
Career
Smith was born on April 7, 1932, in GansGans, Oklahoma
Gans is a town in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 208 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gans is located at ....
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, and was raised in Oakland, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He began his music career performing at the Remember Me Cafe in San Francisco at the age of 15, but he was not financially successful at first. Throughout the 1950s, he was not able to continue his music career, so he worked at various other jobs, including truck driving and bronco busting
Bronc riding
Bronc riding, either saddle bronc or bareback bronc competition, is a rodeo event that involves a rodeo participant riding on a horse , that attempts to throw or buck off the rider...
. He appeared on the California Hayride television show in the mid-1950s before serving two years in the military.
After his discharge, he began playing in a band in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. In 1961
1961 in music
-Events:*January 15 – Motown Records signs The Supremes.*January 20 – Francis Poulenc's Gloria receives its premiėre in Boston, USA.*February 12 – The Miracles' "Shop Around" becomes Motown's first million-selling single....
, country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
legend Ernest Tubb
Ernest Tubb
Ernest Dale Tubb , nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You" , marked the rise of the honky tonk style of music...
heard the band play and, after an audition, hired Smith to play guitar for the Texas Troubadours. Thus, Smith is heard playing in most of Tubb's 1960s recordings. His first solo single was 'Tear Stained Pillow/Eleven Long Years on the local Plaid label. (Mint copies are valued at $25). Smith's stage name began to catch on after he released his second solo single, "I'll Just Go Home," in 1966
1966 in music
-Events:*January 3 – Hullabaloo shows promotional videos of The Beatles songs "Day Tripper" and "We Can Work it Out".*January 8 – Shindig! airs for the last time on ABC, with musical guests the Kinks and the Who...
for Kapp Records
Kapp Records
Kapp Records was an independent record label started in 1954 by David Kapp, brother of Jack Kapp . David Kapp founded his own label after stints with Decca Records and RCA Victor Records. Kapp licensed its records to London Records for release in the UK.In 1967, David Kapp sold his label to MCA Inc...
, and he first cracked the Billboard charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
with his second single, "The Only Thing I Want."
Smith permanently parted ways with Tubb and the Texas Troubadours in 1969
1969 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1969.-Events:* January 29 — The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour premieres on CBS, for what will be a three-year run....
, and he released his first solo album, Drinking Champagne, in 1969. The album's title track had reached the Top 40 on the country charts the previous year.
In 1970
1970 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1970.-Events:* September — That Good Ole Nashville Music debuts in syndication. The series will run until 1985.-United States:...
, Smith signed with Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
, and his popularity quickly soared, starting off with his 1972 top 10 hit, "I've Found Someone of My Own." He began recording songs written by some of the biggest names in the industry; for instance, in March 1973
1973 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1973.-Events:*July — The Dean Martin Show becomes known as Dean Martin Presents Music Country for the longtime variety show's summer broadcasts...
his rendition of Bill Anderson's
Bill Anderson (country music)
James William Anderson III , better known as Bill Anderson, is an American country music singer, songwriter and television personality. He has released more than 40 studio albums and has reached No...
"The Lord Knows I'm Drinking
The Lord Knows I'm Drinking
"The Lord Knows I'm Drinking" is a 1972 single written by Bill Anderson and made famous by country music singer Cal Smith.-Song background:Smith, who had first gained fame performing with Ernest Tubb's Texas Trubadors in the 1960s, released a series of minor hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s...
" became his first number-one country hit. When Decca became MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
in 1973, Cal enjoyed his biggest successes. In 1974
1974 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1974.-Events:* March 16 — The Grand Ole Opry moves from the Ryman Auditorium, its home of the past 41 years, to the newly constructed 4,400 Grand Ole Opry House, on the Opryland complex. President Richard Nixon is a guest...
, he recorded two of his greatest hits, "It's Time to Pay the Fiddler
It's Time to Pay the Fiddler
""It's Time to Pay the Fiddler" is a 1974 single written by Don Wayne and Walter Haynes and performed by Cal Smith. "It's Time to Pay the Fiddler" would be Cal Smith's third and final number one on the country chart. The single stayed at number one for a single week and spent a total of twelve...
" and "Country Bumpkin," which received Song of the Year Awards from both the Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
and the Country Music Association
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
.
Later career
Smith continued to have success with MCA RecordsMCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
into the late 70's including the Top 20 singles "Between Lust And Watching TV" (1974), "She Talked A Lot About Texas" (1975), "I Just Came Home To Count The Memories" (1977), and "Come See About Me" (1977). After this he continued to have minor successes that included "The Rise And Fall Of The Roman Empire" in 1979.
Smith released his last album, Stories of Life by Cal Smith, in 1986
1986 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1986.-Events:* January 18 — "American Country Countdown" with Bob Kingsley expands from three to four hours. Several new features — including a chronological playback of songs reaching No...
on Step One Records
Step One Records
Step One Records was an independent American record label established in February 1984 in Nashville, Tennessee. The label was founded by singer-songwriter and producer Ray Pennington with Curtis Potter, the former of whom had produced for Waylon Jennings...
, where he scored a minor hit that year with "King Lear".
Life today
Smith and his wife, Darlene, live in the BransonBranson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
area, where they pass a great deal of their time fishing.
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
|||
| 1966 | All the World Is Lonely Now | 40 | — | Kapp |
| 1967 | Goin' to Cal's Place | 31 | — | |
| 1968 | Travelin' Man | 34 | — | |
| At Home with Cal | — | — | ||
| Drinking Champagne | 33 | — | ||
| 1969 | Cal Smith Sings | 34 | 170 | |
| 1970 | Country Hit Parade | — | — | |
| 1971 | The Best of Cal Smith | 41 | — | |
| 1972 | I've Found Someone of My Own | 5 | 191 | Decca |
| 1973 | Cal Smith | 20 | — | MCA |
| 1974 | Country Bumpkin | 4 | — | |
| 1975 | It's Time to Pay the Fiddler | 8 | — | |
| My Kind of Country | 17 | — | ||
| 1976 | Jason's Farm | 16 | — | |
| 1977 | I Just Came Home to Count the Memories | 38 | — | |
| 1986 | Stories of Life | — | — | Step One |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
CAN Country | |||
| 1966 | "Silver Due On the Bluegrass Tonight" | — | — | single only |
| 1967 | "The Only Thing I Want" | 58 | — | All the World Is Lonely Now |
| "I'll Never Be Lonesome with You" | 61 | — | Goin' to Cal's Place | |
| "I'll Sail My Ship Alone" | — | — | ||
| 1968 | "Destination Atlanta G.A." | 60 | — | Travelin' Man |
| "Jacksonville" | 58 | — | At Home with Cal | |
| "Drinking Champagne Drinking Champagne "Drinking Champagne" is a song written by Bill Mack which has been recorded by two artists. The first version, by Cal Smith, reached #35 on the country music charts in 1968.... " |
35 | — | Drinking Champagne | |
| 1969 | "Empty Arms" | — | — | |
| "It Takes All Night Long" | 51 | — | Cal Smith Sings | |
| "You Can't Housebreak a Tomcat" | 55 | — | The Best of Cal Smith | |
| 1970 | "Heaven Is Just a Touch Away" | 47 | — | |
| "The Difference Between Going and Really Gone" | 70 | — | ||
| 1971 | "That's What It's Like to Be Lonesome" | 58 | 41 | I've Found Someone of My Own |
| "Free Streets" | — | — | singles only | |
| "Save My Wife" | — | — | ||
| 1972 | "I've Found Someone of My Own" | 4 | 13 | I've Found Someone of My Own |
| "For My Baby" | 58 | — | ||
| 1973 | "The Lord Knows I'm Drinking The Lord Knows I'm Drinking "The Lord Knows I'm Drinking" is a 1972 single written by Bill Anderson and made famous by country music singer Cal Smith.-Song background:Smith, who had first gained fame performing with Ernest Tubb's Texas Trubadors in the 1960s, released a series of minor hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s... "A |
1 | 2 | |
| "I Can Feel the Leavin' Coming On" | 25 | 39 | Cal Smith | |
| "I've Loved You All Over the World" | flip | — | ||
| "Bleep You" | 63 | — | ||
| "An Hour and a Six-Pack" | flip | 95 | ||
| 1974 | "Country Bumpkin Country Bumpkin (song) "Country Bumpkin" is a 1974 single by Cal Smith. "Country Bumpkin" was Cal Smith's second number one on the country chart. The single stayed at number one for a single week and spent a total of ten weeks on the country chart. Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn recorded a duet that peaked in the top... " |
1 | 2 | Country Bumpkin |
| "Between Lust and Watching TV" | 11 | 15 | ||
| 1975 | "It's Time to Pay the Fiddler It's Time to Pay the Fiddler ""It's Time to Pay the Fiddler" is a 1974 single written by Don Wayne and Walter Haynes and performed by Cal Smith. "It's Time to Pay the Fiddler" would be Cal Smith's third and final number one on the country chart. The single stayed at number one for a single week and spent a total of twelve... " |
1 | 1 | It's Time to Pay the Fiddler |
| "She Talked a Lot About Texas" | 13 | 5 | ||
| "Jason's Farm" | 12 | 7 | Jason's Farm | |
| 1976 | "Thunderstorms" | 33 | 22 | |
| "MacArthur's Hand" | 43 | 47 | ||
| "Woman Don't Try to Sing My Song" | 38 | — | I Just Came Home to Count the Memories | |
| 1977 | "I Just Came Home to Count the Memories" | 15 | 10 | |
| "Come See About Me" | 23 | 47 | ||
| "Helen" | 53 | — | singles only | |
| 1978 | "Throwin' Memories On the Fire" | 51 | — | |
| "I'm Just a Farmer" | 73 | — | ||
| "Bits and Pieces of Life" | 68 | — | ||
| 1979 | "The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire" | 71 | — | |
| "One Little Skinny Rib" | 91 | 42 | ||
| "The Room at the Top of the Stairs" | 92 | — | ||
| 1982 | "If I Ever Need a Lady" (w/ Billy Parker Billy Parker (singer) Billy Parker is an American country music disc jockey and singer. Parker was named Disc Jockey of the Year by the Country Music Association in 1974 and by the Academy of Country Music in 1975, 1977, 1978 and 1984... ) |
53 | — | |
| "Too Many Irons in the Fire" (w/ Billy Parker) | 68 | — | ||
| 1986 | "I Know It's Not Over" | — | — | Stories of Life |
| "King Lear" | 75 | — |
- A"The Lord Knows I'm Drinking" also peaked at #64 on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
Awards
- 19741974 in country musicThis is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1974.-Events:* March 16 — The Grand Ole Opry moves from the Ryman Auditorium, its home of the past 41 years, to the newly constructed 4,400 Grand Ole Opry House, on the Opryland complex. President Richard Nixon is a guest...
— Academy of Country MusicAcademy of Country MusicThe Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
- Song of the Year - 19741974 in country musicThis is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1974.-Events:* March 16 — The Grand Ole Opry moves from the Ryman Auditorium, its home of the past 41 years, to the newly constructed 4,400 Grand Ole Opry House, on the Opryland complex. President Richard Nixon is a guest...
— Country Music AssociationCountry Music AssociationThe Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
- Song of the Year - 19741974 in country musicThis is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1974.-Events:* March 16 — The Grand Ole Opry moves from the Ryman Auditorium, its home of the past 41 years, to the newly constructed 4,400 Grand Ole Opry House, on the Opryland complex. President Richard Nixon is a guest...
— Country Music AssociationCountry Music AssociationThe Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
- Single of the Year