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OC Smith

voc, 1932-2001 US, Mansfield, Louisiana
Singer / Musician of R&B/Soul
A.k.a. Ocie Lee Smith

Soul - Jazz singer Born: 21.06.1932, in Mansfield, Louisiana, U.S.A. Died: 23.11.2001, in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. His debut release was a cover of the Little Richard hit "Tutti Frutti" in December 1955. The song was not a hit, but convinced MGM Records to sign Smith to a solo contract, resulting in three more releases, but still no hits. In 1961, Smith was recruited by Count Basie to be his vocalist, a position he held until 1965. He also continued to record with different labels, but a hit remained elusive. By 1968, Smith's then label, Columbia Records, was ready to release him from his recording contract, when he entered the charts for the first time with "Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp", which reached No.2 in the UK Singles Chart and also broke the Top 40 in the United States. In 1976 Kenny Rogers revived the hit as a country song. Smith changed the first part of his name to O.C. and recorded the Bobby Russell written song "Little Green Apples," which went to No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Russell the 1969 Grammy Award for Song of the Year. It received a gold record from the R.I.A.A. for sales of one million records. He continued to record, reaching the R&B, Adult Contemporary and pop charts in his home country with the likes of "Daddy's Little Man", "Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife", "Me and You" and "Love To Burn". He also returned to the UK Singles Chart in 1977 with "Together", reaching a Top 30 position. After CBS, Smith united with Charles Wallert, who wrote and produced the title track as well as the album for "Dreams Come True" that returned Smith to the national charts. The Whatcha Gonna Do album, resulted in three nationally charted singles for a total of 40 weeks. This album contained "Brenda", "You're My First, My Last My Everything" and "Spark Of Love". Additional hits "The Best Out Of Me" and "After All Is Said And Done" established Smith as a Beach Music star. Nominated for six awards at the third Beach Music Awards, Smith captured five. Smith became pastor and founder of The City Of Angels Church in Los Angeles, California where he practiced for 16 years. One of his last recordings, "Save The Last Dance For Me" reached the number one position on the Rhythm n' Beach Top 40 chart. Shortly after his death, Governor Jim Hodges proclaimed June 21, 2002, 'O.C. Smith Day' in the State of South Carolina. Smith was posthumously elected to the Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame in November 2002.

     
Genres
  • R&B/Soul
  • Pop
  • Rock
  • Jazz
  • Blues
Discography



Title Artist Year Type
After All Is Said & Done / I See You My LoveOC Smith / Inez Foxx2005Single
The Very Best Of O.C. SmithOC Smith2003Compil.
Greatest Hits • Help Me Make It Through The NightOC Smith2003Compil.
Picture PerfectAhmad Jamal With Special Guest OC Smith2000Album
After All Is Said And DoneOC Smith1993Album
After All Is Said And Done / BrendaOC Smith1993Single
Love X 3Chuck Jackson, OC Smith & Cuba Gooding1993Compil.
If I Didn't CareKim Waters Featuring OC Smith1992Single
Me And YouOC Smith1991Compil.
My Favorite SongsOC Smith1990Compil.
Me and YouOC Smith1990Album
Doin' The ShagOC Smith1988Single
Greatest HitsOC Smith1988Compil.
Primrose Lane / Spark Of LoveOC Smith1988Album
What'cha Gonna DoOC Smith1986Album
What'cha Gonna Do / Nothing But The BestOC Smith1985Single
I BetchaOC Smith1982Single
Love ChangesOC Smith1982Album
The Son Of Hickory Holler's Tramp / TogetherOC Smith1982Single
Love Changes / Got To KnowOC Smith1982Album
The Devil Went Down To Georgia / The Son Of Hickory Holler's TrampThe Charlie Daniels Band, OC Smith1981Single
Baby Come BackOC Smith1980Single
Dreams Come TrueOC Smith1980Album
Dreams Come True / Nothing But The BestOC Smith1980Single
Love Is ForeverOC Smith1979Album
You Thrill MeOC Smith1979Album
You Thrill Me / Menage A Trois / More... I Like ItOC Smith / Magic Carpet / Adolf Stern1979Compil.
Living Without Your Love / Can't Be The One To Say It's OverOC Smith1979Album
Love To BurnOC Smith1978Single
Simple LifeOC Smith1977Single
TogetherOC Smith1977Album
Together - You And IOC Smith1977Single
Together / Just Couldn't Help MyselfOC Smith1976Single
La La Peace SongOC Smith1974Album
La La Peace Song / When Morning ComesOC Smith1973Single
Such Good FriendsThomas Z. Shepard, OC Smith1972Album
If You Touch Me (You've Got To Love Me) / Don't MisunderstandOC Smith1972Single
Suddenly, It's All TomorrowOC Smith1972Single
Help Me Make It Through The NightOC Smith1971Single
Downtown U.S. A.OC Smith1971Single
Help Me Make It Through The NightOC Smith1971Single
Help Me Make It Through The NightOC Smith1971Album
O.C. SmithOC Smith1971Compil.
I've Been ThereOC Smith1971Single
Me And You / MelodeeOC Smith1970Single
Primrose LaneOC Smith1970Single
Moody / Isn't Life BeautifulOC Smith1970Single
O. C. Smith's Greatest HitsOC Smith1970Compil.
Baby I Need Your Loving / San Francisco Is A Lonely TownOC Smith1970Single
Can't Take My Eyes Off You / Me And YouOC Smith1969Single
Honey (I Miss You)OC Smith1969Single
The Hits Of O.C. SmithOC Smith1969Single
Daddy's Little ManOC Smith1969Single
The Dynamic O. C. Smith - Recorded LiveOC Smith1969Album
At HomeOC Smith1969Album
Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife / I Taught Her Everything She KnowsOC Smith1969Single
Little Green Apples / Sitting On The Dock Of The BayOC Smith1968Single
Isn't It Lonely Together / I Ain't The Worryin' KindOC Smith1968Single
Little Green Apples / Long Black LimousineOC Smith1968Single
Main Street MissionOC Smith1968Single
Hickory Holler RevisitedOC Smith1968Single
Hickory Holler RevisitedOC Smith1968Album
For Once In My LifeOC Smith1968Album
Hickory Holler RevisitedOC Smith1968Single
The Son Of Hickory Holler's TrampOC Smith1968Single
Little Green Apples / Gas, Food, LodgingOC Smith1968Single
The Son Of Hickory Holler's TrampOC Smith1968Single
The Dynamic O. C. Smith - Recorded LiveOC Smith1967Album
That's LifeOC Smith1966Single
On Easy Street / Beyond The Next HillOC Smith1966Single
Everybody But Me / Mr. NightOC Smith1964Single
Well I'm Dancin'OC Smith1960Single
You've ChangedOC Smith1959Single
Slim Jim JosieOC Smith1958Single
How Times Have Changed / Try A Little TendernessOC Smith With Rico Henderson And His Orchestra1958Single
Bad Man Of Missouri / If You Don´t Love MeOC Smith Orchestra Conducted by Archie Bleyer1957Single
Lighthouse / Too ManyOC Smith With Archie Bleyer Orchestra1957Single
Just Kiss Me / At Last My Baby’s Coming HomeOC Smith1956Single
Slow Walk / Forbidden FruitOC Smith1956Single
Lost Horizon / Going, Going, Gone!OC Smith1956Album
Little Green Apples / Isn't It Lonely TogetherOC SmithSingle
That's Life / The SeasonOC SmithSingle
The O. C. Smith CollectionOC SmithCompil.
You're The First, My Last, My EverythingOC SmithSingle
Cha Dooky DoArt Neville, OC SmithSingle
The Son Of Hickory Holler's TrampOC SmithSingle
You're The First, My Last, My EverythingOC SmithSingle
La La Peace SongOC SmithSingle
The Best Out Of MeOC SmithSingle
Daddy's Little Man / Friend, Lover, Woman, WifeOC SmithSingle
The Season / Double LifeOC SmithSingle
La La Peace Song / Don't MisunderstandOC SmithSingle
The Son Of Hickory Holler's TrampOC SmithSingle
Isn't It Lonely TogetherOC SmithSingle
BrendaOC SmithSingle
Best Of O.C. SmithOC SmithAlbum
La La Peace Song / Sun GoddessOC Smith / Earth, Wind & FireAlbum
Baby Come Back / The Son Of Hickory Holler's TrampThe Equals, OC SmithSingle
External Links
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