Chris Smith (composer)
Encyclopedia
Chris Smith was an American
composer and performer.
Smith was born in Charleston, South Carolina
; he started traveling with Medicine Shows when young and went into Vaudeville
where he performed in an acts with Elmer Bowman
and Jimmy Durante
. He also wrote music for Bert Williams
.
Smith composed many tunes, including such hits as Ballin' The Jack
, Down In Honky Tonk Town, Good Morning Carrie, The Camel Walk, and Junk Man Rag.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
composer and performer.
Smith was born in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
; he started traveling with Medicine Shows when young and went into Vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
where he performed in an acts with Elmer Bowman
Elmer Bowman
Elmari Wilhelm Bowman was a Major League Baseball player for the Washington Senators in August 1920. The 23-year-old rookie made two pinch-hitting appearances for the Senators and did not play in the field, so his position is not known.Both of Bowman's appearances took place on the road...
and Jimmy Durante
Jimmy Durante
James Francis "Jimmy" Durante was an American singer, pianist, comedian and actor. His distinctive clipped gravelly speech, comic language butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and large nose helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s...
. He also wrote music for Bert Williams
Bert Williams
Egbert Austin "Bert" Williams was one of the preeminent entertainers of the Vaudeville era and one of the most popular comedians for all audiences of his time. He was by far the best-selling black recording artist before 1920...
.
Smith composed many tunes, including such hits as Ballin' The Jack
Ballin' the Jack
"Ballin' the Jack" is a popular song written by Jim Burris with music by Chris Smith. It introduced a popular dance of the same name with "Folks in Georgia's 'bout to go insane." The song and dance were performed in For Me and My Gal, the 1942 movie starring Judy Garland and Gene Kelly.-Lyrics and...
, Down In Honky Tonk Town, Good Morning Carrie, The Camel Walk, and Junk Man Rag.