The blues community caught the blues this year when they learned that one of their own, 72-year-old guitar legend Bennie Smith, suffered a heart attack. Smith is making stride toward recovery, but upon his release, his van, which contained all the tools of his trade, guitars, amplifiers and sound system was stolen while parked in front of his house.
While there hasn’t been word that one of them will make a blues song about it, they are gearing up to help him recover his loses with a benefit concert, at 6 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 5, BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups, 700 S. Broadway.
The players are Johnnie Johnson, Urban Blues Express, Soulard Blues Band, Rich McDonough Blues Band, The Mighty Big Band, The Sportsmen and Leroy Pierson.
For more than fifty years Smith has been one of St. Louis’ outstanding guitarists. He first gained his notoriety with the Roosevelt Marks Band, his style being smooth yet very powerful and all his own.
In 1963 Mr. Smith recorded with a young Ike and soon to be Tina Turner, (she was still Anne Lee Bullock at the time). They recorded what would be the first hit of the young couples career, a song called “Boxtop.”
Over the past five decades Bennie has performed with many of the most influential performers in Rhythm & Blues including: Little Milton, Oliver Sain, Johnnie Johnson, Gatemouth Brown, The Drifters,Hubert Sumlin, Matt Murphy, Amos Milburn, Aretha Franklin, Larry Davis Jr, Earl Hooker, Ike & Tina Turner, Jimmy Reed, Albert King, Fontella Bass, Henry Townsend, Rufus Thomas, Billy Gayles. The list goes on.
Bennie played from 1990 to 1994 with Big Bad Smitty, making five trips to Europe and recording two CDs. He also led the band accompanying Screamin’ Joe Neal to the Blues Estafette in 1993.
In 2001 Bennie took his current band The Urban Blues Express into the studio and recorded “Shook Up” for the Fedora Label. The C.D. has received critical acclaim all over Europe and has reached the top ten on the Rhythm & Blues list in Europe.
Smith was a headline artist at this years Big Muddy Blues where he shared the stage with Texas guitarist Gatemouth Brown featuring old school showmanship and prowess on their chosen instruments.
Bennie Smith Blues Benefit
Sunday, Dec. 5
6 p.m. – 12 a.m.
BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups
700 S. Broadway, 436-5222
$10 donation at the door
