Ty Smith is an American studio and internationally touring drummer

Drummer

A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...

.

Born January 2, 1977, and originally from Bethalto, Illinois

Bethalto, Illinois

Bethalto is a village located in Madison County, Illinois, USA. Bethalto, like the rest of Madison County, is part of the Illinois Metro-East portion of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area...

, Smith self taught himself to play the drums starting at the age of three and continued through high school. He studied many styles and techniques from an early age. At the age of 16, he started playing professionally in the local band Ultrafink and opened for such acts as Bloodhound Gang

Bloodhound Gang

Bloodhound Gang is a Collegeville, Pennsylvania-based American comedy band, although it began as a rap group and gradually changed its genre throughout the years...

, Nerf Herder, WASP (band) and Goldfinger (band)

Goldfinger (band)

Goldfinger is a Los Angeles pop punk/ska punk band that formed in 1994. Currently, the band is composed of vocalist/guitarist John Feldmann, guitarist Charlie Paulson, bassist Kelly LeMieux, and drummer Darrin Pfeiffer...

 and also was placed in heavy rotation on the St. Louis ration station The Point.

Ultrafink opened for The Vandals

The Vandals

The Vandals are an American rock band established in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...

 in St. Louis in 1997 and Ty was approached by Joe Escalante

Joe Escalante

Joseph Patrick "Joe" Escalante is an American musician, record label owner, radio host, film and music video director, and amateur matador, as well as a former television executive and entertainment lawyer...

, bass player of The Vandals, to fill in for their drummer Josh Freese

Josh Freese

Josh Freese is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, and Devo, having formerly played drums for Nine Inch Nails from late 2005 until late 2008, and for Guns N' Roses from mid-1998 to 2001. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records....

 while Freese was on tour with Devo

Devo

Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...

. Ty subsequently toured with The Vandals on the 1997 Warped Tour

Warped Tour

The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...

.

Smith moved to Los Angeles in 1997 to pursue his music career and it was there he joined Jughead's Revenge

Jughead's Revenge

Jughead's Revenge is an American punk rock band. They originally formed in Los Angeles in 1988. To date, Jughead's Revenge has released six studio albums...

 as their touring and recording drummer. Guttermouth

Guttermouth

Guttermouth is an American punk rock band formed in 1988 in Huntington Beach, California and currently recording for Hopeless Records. They have released nine full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...

 approached Ty a year later and he joined the band in 1998 and remained with them for 9 years and 5 albums. Weary of their on and offstage antics, Ty ultimately called it quits with Guttermouth in 2006.

Smith maintained his relationship with his promising hometown band between touring and recording with Guttermouth. In 1998, Ty convinced the other members of what was to become Bullets and Octane

Bullets and Octane

Bullets and Octane are a punk/hard rock band originally from St. Louis, Missouri and now based in Southern California . They originate from the band Ultrafink...

 to join him in Los Angeles in hopes of creating and nurturing his own band and music and separating from the reputation of Guttermouth. In 2003 Bullets and Octane received label interest and procured a manager. By 2004, the band was in the studio with Guns N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke

Gilby Clarke

Gilbert "Gilby" Clarke is an American guitarist and record producer best known for a 3-year tenure as the rhythm guitarist of Guns N' Roses, replacing Izzy Stradlin in 1991 during the Use Your Illusion Tour...

 recording 2004's “The Revelry” on Criteron Records and later re-released on Ares Records. The 2006 follow up “In the Mouth of the Young”, on Sony BMG/RCA records was produced by Helmet

Helmet

A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...

 guitarist Page Hamilton

Page Hamilton

Page Hamilton is a guitarist, singer and record producer, mostly noted for his work with alternative metal band Helmet...

. The band toured with the Family Values Tour

Family Values Tour

The Family Values Tour was created by the band Korn in 1998 to be an annual rock & rap tour.The tour began in 1998 and would take the year off in 2000, due to heavy competition from other tours, such as the Anger Management Tour and the Summer Sanitarium Tour. After a four year hiatus, the Family...

 in 2006 along with such bands as Dir en Grey

Dir en grey

Dir En Grey is a Japanese metal band formed in 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. As of 2011, they have recorded eight full-length records...

, Korn

Korn

Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...

, Flyleaf

Flyleaf

Flyleaf is an American alternative metal band, formed in the Belton and Temple, Texas regions in 2000. The band has charted on mainstream rock, Christian pop and Christian metal genres. They performed around the United States in 2003 until releasing their eponymous debut album, Flyleaf, in 2005....

, Stone Sour

Stone Sour

Stone Sour is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2006, the group has been composed of Corey Taylor , Jim Root , Josh Rand, , Shawn Economaki and Roy Mayorga . Original drummer Joel Ekman left the group in 2006...

, and Deftones

Deftones

Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...

, as well as international tours with Avenged Sevenfold

Avenged Sevenfold

Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....

, Flogging Molly

Flogging Molly

Flogging Molly is a seven-piece Irish-descendant band from Los Angeles, California, that is currently signed to their own record label, Borstal Beat Records.-Early years:...

, and Social Distortion

Social Distortion

Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...

.

The band left RCA

RCA

RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...

 in 2007 and released “Song for the Underdog” in June, 2007 on Ares Records. Ty quit the band soon after.

Black President

Black President (band)

Black President is an American punk rock band. It was formed in 2005 by Circle Jerks/Bad Religion guitarist Greg Hetson and Goldfinger guitarist Charlie Paulson.-History:...

, whose members consist of Charlie Paulson of Golfinger, Greg Hetson

Greg Hetson

Greg Hetson is an American guitarist. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and has lived in Los Angeles, California since he was 2 years old...

 of Circle Jerks

Circle Jerks

The Circle Jerks are an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Los Angeles, California. It was formed by Black Flag's original singer, Keith Morris, and future Bad Religion guitarist Greg Hetson. They were among the preeminent hardcore punk bands of the L.A. scene in the late 1970s.The band...

 and Bad Religion

Bad Religion

Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...

, Jason Christopher of Slipknot

Slipknot (band)

Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...

, Christian Martucci

Christian Martucci

Christian Martucci is an American guitarist, bassist, vocalist and songwriter. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is a founding member of Thousand Watt Stare, Black President, The Strychnine Babies and The Chelsea Smiles...

 of the Dee Dee Ramone Band and Corey Taylor

Corey Taylor

Corey Todd Taylor sometimes known by the number 8, is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of Slipknot and Stone Sour. Taylor was raised by his single mother. He developed a fond feeling toward classic rock after his grandmother introduced him to it...

's side project, asked Ty to join them as their touring and recording drummer for this project in 2007. Smith toured with Black President in 2008.

Subsquently, Smith also played drums and toured with the industrial alternative rock/metal band Godhead

Godhead (band)

Godhead, occasionally typeset as gODHEAD, is an American alternative rock/metal band from Washington, D.C.. They are most often credited with being the only band signed to musician Marilyn Manson's short-lived vanity label, Posthuman Records.-History:...

  for their 2008 album “At the Edge of the World” until the band went on hiatus in 2009 while singer Jason Miller pursued a solo career.

In May 2010, Smith joined the Todd Youth

Todd Youth

-Biography:Youth grew up in New York and started playing as young as 12 years old in several New York City hardcore bands. He made his playing debut with Agnostic Front in 1983 but did not play on any recordings. Youth also appeared for New York City act Warzone until around 1986...

 (Agnostic Front

Agnostic Front

Agnostic Front is an American hardcore band. The band began playing hardcore similar to their contemporaries, and were thrust to the forefront of the burgeoning New York hardcore scene in the mid-1980s with their widely regarded 1984 classic Victim in Pain before evolving to incorporate thrash...

, Murphy’s Law (band), Motörhead, Samhain (band)

Samhain (band)

Samhain was an American rock band formed by singer Glenn Danzig in 1983, immediately following his departure from the Misfits. Samhain played in more of a deathrock and heavy metal-infused style of horror punk than Danzig's previous band. By 1987 Samhain's membership evolved into a new band,...

, Son of Sam (band)

Son Of Sam (band)

Son of Sam is an American horror punk band that is a side project created by Todd Youth in 2000, during his tenure as the guitarist for Danzig. The band's initial line up featured members of Samhain, Danzig, and AFI. Much like its members' other work, Son of Sam plays in the horror punk style, and...

, D Generation

D Generation

D Generation are an American glam punk band formed in 1991 in New York City. The band broke up in 1999, but will reunite in 2011 for shows. During its history the band released three albums, to much critical acclaim...

, Danzig, Ace Frehley

Ace Frehley

Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Kiss. He took on the persona of the "Spaceman" or "Space Ace" when the band adopted costumes and theatrics...

, Glen Campbell

Glen Campbell

Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...

, Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...

, Jesse Malin

Jesse Malin

Jesse Malin is a rock musician. He has played with Heart Attack and D Generation. He is currently a solo recording artist.-Biography:...

 & the St. Marks Social) led band The Chelsea Smiles

The Chelsea Smiles

The Chelsea Smiles are a hard rock/sleaze rock band formed in 2004 featuring guitarist Todd Youth , Karl Rosqvist of Danzig, Steel Prophet, Skye Vaughan-Jayne of Bullets and Octane, Johnny Martin and RJ Ronquillo....

/Royal Highness with Johnny Martin (Jesse Malin & the St. Marks Social, Dizzy Reed Band, The Cunninghams, Cousin Oliver), RJ Ronquillo (Ricky Martin, Dizzy Reed Band, Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder

Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...

, Brian McKnight

Brian McKnight

Brian McKnight is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and R&B/Pop musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays nine instruments: piano, guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussions, trombone, tuba, flugelhorn and trumpet....

, Smokey Robinson

Smokey Robinson

William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...

, Santana

Santana (band)

Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...

, Monica) and former Bullets and Octane bandmate Skye Vaughan-Jayne (Son of Sam, Beer City Rockers), replacing Karl Rosqvist

Karl Rosqvist

Karl Rosqvist , also p.k.a. Karl Rockfist is a Swedish/ Finnish drummer who has been mostly active in the American music scene. He played in the Swedish metal band Sorg in the early to mid 90s....

 (Michael Monroe

Michael Monroe

Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm , best known by his stage name, Michael Monroe, is a Finnish rock musician, and multi-instrumentalist who rose to fame as the vocalist for the glam punk band Hanoi Rocks, and has served as the frontman for all-star side projects, such as Demolition 23...

 Band).

As of June 2010, Smith has been the internationally touring and recording drummer for New York singer/songwriter Jesse Malin

Jesse Malin

Jesse Malin is a rock musician. He has played with Heart Attack and D Generation. He is currently a solo recording artist.-Biography:...

. He has also been performing with singer/songwriter rock artist Willie Nile

Willie Nile

Willie Nile is an American singer-songwriter. In 1980 Nile released his self-titled debut album which according to one critic remains “one of the most thrilling post-Byrds folk-rock albums of all time”...

 since 2011. Most recently, in the Summer of 2011, he toured with Dizzy Reed

Dizzy Reed

Dizzy Reed is a contemporary rock musician, and occasional actor. He is best known for his tenure as the keyboardist & pianist for the rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he has played, toured and recorded since 1990...

of Guns N’ Roses.