From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Thu Feb 7, 2002  1:14 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Warren Smith
 
WARREN SMITH (By Shaun Mather)

Born 7 February, 1933, Humphreys County, Mississippi
Died 30 January, 1980, Longview, Texas

Warren Smith was one of the purest voices, particularly for country music,
ever to set foot through the hallowed doorstep at Sun studios. He got his
break when following an audition at Sun, Sam Phillips and Johnny Cash
watched him perform with Clyde Leopard and the Snearly Ranch Boys at the
Cotton Club in West Memphis. At the intermission they called him over to
the table and Cash presented him with a song he'd written, Rock 'n' Roll
Ruby. Backed by I'd Rather Be Safe Than Sorry the single stormed to the top
of the Memphis charts. The national charts proved elusive but further
classics followed in the shape of Ubangi Stomp and the song that looked
likely to get him his breakthrough, So Long I'm Gone, with its brilliant
flip, Miss Froggie. So Long climbed to number 72 in the Hit Parade just as
Sun had to put all its energies (time and money) into Jerry Lee Lewis'
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On. It was a bitter blow for Smith, but he
responded by cutting the equally impressive follow-up, Got Love If You Want
It and I Fell In Love. The chance had gone though and Uranium Rock, Do I
Love You, Sweet Sweet Girl and others proved futile. Smith moved to Sherman
Oaks, California and landed a deal with Warner Brothers for whom he cut
three low key singles. A guest spot on the Town Hall Party got him on
Liberty Records and in the early sixties he enjoyed some solid country hits
with I Don't Believe I'll Fall In Love Today and Odds And Ends going top 10.
A hard life on the road saw him hitting the bottle and in August 1965 he had
a bad car accident which forced him off the road for a year. Singles on
Slick and Mercury followed, as did an eighteen month spell in an Alabama
jailhouse. Various singles and albums came out in the 70's and in '77 he
played the Rainbow in London with Jack Scott, Charlie Feathers and Buddy
Knox. In January 1980 he suffered a massive heart attack and died, aged 46.

Recommended listening:
Classic Recordings 56-59 - Bear Family (Sun)
So Long I'm Gone - Charly (Sun recordings)
Call Of The Wild - Bear Family (Liberty recordings)

Shaun is too modest to refer to his (and Phil's) own RAB HOF page,
so I (Dik) will recommend it in his place:
http://www.rockabillyhall.com/WarrenSmith.html