Jack Smith

Eddie Lane · Post by **Eddie Lane** » 10 Jul 2014 4:22 am

Very bad news! Jack was a great, great player and just as great a man. He will be missed.

Gary Dillard · Post by **Gary Dillard** » 10 Jul 2014 7:46 am

Jack was my steel hero. We worked dates together when I was with the Kingsmen and he the Goodmans. Stayed friends during his "tape-disk" business and me and my wife stayed with him a couple of times when he had his farm south of Watertown, TN

My heart hurts

Duane Becker · Post by **Duane Becker** » 10 Jul 2014 1:15 pm

Can anyone, maybe from the Arizona area, share some details on the accident, not trying to be noisy, but just interested, I guess as a fan of these Nashville steel pickers...
I've admired and respected Jacks playing for years, he was right up there with Emmons and Chalker as far as I'm concerned.

BTW, I did a tour to Japan with Jack when he was with Connie in 1999, I was playing with a group called Wylie and the Wild West. Anyway, we talked the day before our sound checks and his playing history and he kept telling me that he's an E9th player all the way. Said he hardly knew anything on the C6.
The day of our sound checks, he was messing around on his steel, nice tastey E9 chops, then he dropped to the C6 neck. I was off back stage and when hearing the power chords, jazz chords, fast single string runs all connected to the chords on the C6, I thought to myself that Emmons was on the steel-it was that good. I raced up the stairs to the backstage area, and there was Jack on his steel. Played a good 10 minutes by himself. I couldnt believe that anyone could make the steel sound so good. And down through the years, I've heard them all in person, Byrd, Emmons, on and on.
That's truly how good Jack was.

Fred Justice · Post by **Fred Justice** » 10 Jul 2014 1:48 pm

Duane, I don't know a lot but I will share with you what I've heard. I can't guaranty how accurate it is.
Apparently some time Monday Jack was driving back home from the Rye area up north, it was raining and Jack flipped and rolled his vehicle.
he was air lifted to a local hospital somewhere here in the valley.
Jack then passed the next morning (Tuesday)

I haven't heard anything about the accident or his injuries leading to his death.
Hopefully someone will post more, and better info including his funeral arrangements.
God rest his soul.

Duane Becker · Post by **Duane Becker** » 10 Jul 2014 2:11 pm

Thanks Fred, that will work, very very sorry...

Brian Creamer · Post by **Brian Creamer** » 10 Jul 2014 5:32 pm

http://www.paysonroundup.com/photos/2014/jul/08/54517/

This is all I can find about the accident.It happened on a very steep hill just south of Payson with some very sharp curves.Its a divided highway with a median strip of at least 100 to 200 yards at this point separating the north bound lanes from the southbound lanes. Cannot find anything about funeral arrangements.
Up until about a month or so ago Jack had been playing in Cave Creek and at the Hitching Post here in Apache Junction.

Rex Thomas · Post by **Rex Thomas** » 10 Jul 2014 6:36 pm

This is just terrible news.

The Lord's embrace for his family.

Rest in peace, Jack.

Bill L. Wilson · Post by **Bill L. Wilson** » 10 Jul 2014 6:48 pm

Really sorry to hear news like this. I did a lot of sessions with Jack's cousin Jerry Hall, back in the '70's. Jack once told me while conversing by Email, that he would come to Okla. in the summer to visit his cousin Jerry. On one of his trips, Jerry had a pedal steel, and when he got home, he told his dad, I've got to get a steel with pedals. So his Dad, got him a pedal steel, and he said, Jerry taught him how to play. And the rest is history. R.I.P, Jack Smith, and may God comfort your Family.

Dan Burnham · Post by **Dan Burnham** » 11 Jul 2014 5:23 am

This is terrible news, I am in shock. Jack was my friend and one of my inspiration. I will pray for his family.
RIP my friend,
Dan

barry wheeler · Post by **barry wheeler** » 11 Jul 2014 7:11 am

Article from the Singing News magazine.

http://www.singingnews.com/news/jack-sm ... I.facebook

Darrell Owens · Post by **Darrell Owens** » 11 Jul 2014 9:09 am

Great Friend, Great Steel Player
You will be greatly missed.

Jeff Evans · Post by **Jeff Evans** » 12 Jul 2014 12:43 pm

. . . Payson police have opened a death investigation due to Jack's age and the fact he died in his house. â€” http://www.kpho.com/story/26001468/key-player

_____

Nick Reed · Post by **Nick Reed** » 12 Jul 2014 12:49 pm

What brand of Steel did Jack play

Duane Becker · Post by **Duane Becker** » 12 Jul 2014 1:56 pm

He had an old shobud with the Goodmans and went to Emmons pp after joining Bill Anderson, which brand he continued to play up until around 2003 or 4 when he went to a single neck GFI. He may have been recently messing around with some other steels too...

Fred Justice · Post by **Fred Justice** » 12 Jul 2014 4:06 pm

Jack had been playing a Zum SD-10 for a number of years.

Paul King · Post by **Paul King** » 12 Jul 2014 4:09 pm

I read an article that stated Jack was treated and released from the hospital. He passed at home from complications from the accident. Way too young to leave this world for sure. What a fantastic steel player.

Duane Becker · Post by **Duane Becker** » 13 Jul 2014 6:54 am

Hey Fred, thats right. Forgot about the Zum. Last time I talked to Jack was about a year ago. I couldnt remember the last brand of steel he mentioned, thought it was something like a Zum or even one of yours. Did he ever get try out a Justice?

Fred Justice · Post by **Fred Justice** » 13 Jul 2014 7:26 am

Duane, Jack had been here at the shop numerous times, mostly to pick up strings.
he was always on his way to a gig and never really had the time to sit down to a Justice guitar.
The lack of having a guitar in a completed stage was another factor.
My guitar was on hand but hardly no one wants to sit down to my copedent.
We did talk about the possibilities of him having one build some time in the future.

Bruce Bouton · Post by **Bruce Bouton** » 13 Jul 2014 9:18 am

Very sad news. I worked with his talented brother Gary for years.
BB

Marcus Provis · Post by **Marcus Provis** » 13 Jul 2014 7:11 pm

Such sad news, I only just saw this now.
He was one of my all time favorite steel players, and seemed like a real nice fellow. Not sure what else to write. Very sad.

Marcus

Gary Walker · Post by **Gary Walker** » 20 Jul 2014 5:01 pm

About 1966 I traded my Wright Custom that Chuck had built in '63, back to Chuck when he was in the Red Bluff area of CA. He was building me a new Sierra and he had a customer by the name of Jackie Smith a Pastor's son from the Modesto area. This guitar was featured on a Brochure with Barbara Mandrell, Norm Hamlet, Zane King, Gene Pooler and others. I still have that brochure, but was always proud the guitar went to a young player that made his mark in the steel world. So sad.

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