The Best Man by lazarus57

lazarus57 - The Best Man

lazarus57

May 08, 2025 10:39pm

SOULFEST 11 - ROUND 1Round 1 - Sing any 50s or 60s Soul Song<img src="https://singsnap-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/message-board/threads/QT4T/c54ff25928_9NVQ_media.gif"><img src="https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.2ZP3s9uV2uFt571hApSG9QAAAA?rs=1&pid=ImgDetMain" alt="o.c. smith - 45tours- discographie - pochettes"> Ocie Lee Smith (June 21, 1932 – November 23, 2001), known professionally as O. C. Smith, was an American singer. His recording of "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Green_Apples" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Little Green Apples</a>" went to number 2 on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Hot_100" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Billboard Hot 100</a> in 1968 and sold over one million <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramophone_record" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">records</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._C._Smith#cite_note-The_Book_of_Golden_Discs-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">[1]</a>BiographyBorn in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansfield,_Louisiana" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Mansfield</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Louisiana</a>, United States, Smith moved with his parents to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Rock,_Arkansas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Little Rock</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkansas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Arkansas</a>, and then moved with his mother to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles,_California" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Los Angeles</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">California</a> after his parents' divorce.After completing a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">psychology</a> degree at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_University" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Southern University</a>, Smith joined the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Force" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Air Force</a>, and served throughout the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">U.S.</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Europe</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Asia</a>. While in the Air Force, Smith began entering talent contests and toured with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_Heidt" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Horace Heidt</a>. After his discharge in July 1955, Smith went into <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">jazz</a> music to pay the bills.Smith gained his first break as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">singer</a> with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sy_Oliver" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Sy Oliver</a> and made an appearance on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Godfrey%27s_Talent_Scouts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts</a>. His success on that show led to a 1955 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recording_contract" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">recording contract</a> with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadence_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Cadence Records</a> where his 1956 debut release "Slow Walk"/"Forbidden Fruit" and three further Cadence singles were not hits.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._C._Smith#cite_note-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">[2]</a>Smith was also in demand elsewhere as vocalist and under-billed on Art Mooney's Jan 1956 MGM cover version of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Richard" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Little Richard</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hit_single" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">hit</a> "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutti_Frutti_(song)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Tutti Frutti</a>".<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._C._Smith#cite_note-3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">[3]</a> The release was not a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hit_record" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">hit</a>, but convinced <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">MGM Records</a> to sign Smith to a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solo_(music)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">solo</a> contract, resulting in three more releases, but still no hits.In 1961, Smith was recruited by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Basie" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Count Basie</a> to be his vocalist, a position he held until 1965.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._C._Smith#cite_note-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">[4]</a> He also continued to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_recording_and_reproduction" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">record</a> with different <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record_label" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">labels</a>, but a hit remained elusive. By 1968, Smith's then label, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Columbia Records</a>, was ready to release him from his <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recording_contract" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">recording contract</a>, when he entered the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record_chart" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">charts</a> for the first time with "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Son_of_Hickory_Holler%27s_Tramp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">The Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp</a>",<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._C._Smith#cite_note-LarkinSM-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">[5]</a> which reached number 2 in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Singles_Chart" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">UK Singles Chart</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._C._Smith#cite_note-British_Hit_Singles_&_Albums-6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">[6]</a> and also broke the Top 40 in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">United States</a>. In 1976, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Rogers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Kenny Rogers</a> revived the hit as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_music" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">country</a> song, similar to the first versions of the song by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Darrell" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Johnny Darrell</a>.Smith changed the first part of his name to O.C. and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_recording_and_reproduction" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">recorded</a> the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Russell" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Bobby Russell</a>-written song "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Green_Apples" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Little Green Apples</a>,"<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._C._Smith#cite_note-LarkinSM-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">[5]</a> which went to number 2 on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_100" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Hot 100</a> on 26 October 1968 and won Russell the 1969 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Award_for_Song_of_the_Year" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Grammy Award for Song of the Year</a>. It received a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_recording_sales_certification" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">gold record</a> from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recording_Industry_Association_of_America" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">R.I.A.A.</a> for sales of one million <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramophone_record" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">records</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._C._Smith#cite_note-The_Book_of_Golden_Discs-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">[1]</a>He continued to record, reaching the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_R%26B/Hip-Hop_Songs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">R&B</a>, Adult Contemporary and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Hot_100" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">pop</a> charts in his home country with the likes of "Daddy's Little Man",<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._C._Smith#cite_note-LarkinSM-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">[5]</a> "Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife", "Me and You" and "Love To Burn". He also returned to the UK Singles Chart in 1977 with "Together",<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._C._Smith#cite_note-LarkinSM-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">[5]</a> reaching a Top 30 position.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._C._Smith#cite_note-British_Hit_Singles_&_Albums-6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">[6]</a>After CBS, Smith united with Charles Wallert, who <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songwriter" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">wrote</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record_producer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">produced</a> the title track as well as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Album" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">album</a> 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 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_Music" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Beach Music</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebrity" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">star</a>. Nominated for six awards at the third Beach Music Awards, Smith captured five.Smith became <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">pastor</a> and founder of The City Of Angels Church in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles,_California" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Los Angeles</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">California</a> where he ministered 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.DeathOn November 23, 2001, Smith died of a heart attack<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._C._Smith#cite_note-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">[7]</a> in Los Angeles.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._C._Smith#cite_note-NYT-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">[8]</a>He was survived by his wife Robbie Gholson Smith, his four children with former wife Lorraine Smith: Sherryn Smith, Ocie Lee Smith III, Kelly T. Smith and Robert Francis Smith, sons Jesse Hayes IV and Frank Hayes, daughter Bonnie Dykes, and 10 grandchildren<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._C._Smith#cite_note-NYT-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">[8]</a> including Monique Smith, Sergio Glenn Smith and Melany Frances Smith.Shortly after his death, Governor Jim Hodges proclaimed June 21, 2002, "O.C. Smith Day" in the state of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Carolina" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">South Carolina</a>. Smith was posthumously elected to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_music" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">Carolina Beach Music</a><img src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/t-KN1eVIMGc/hqdefault.jpg" alt="O.C. Smith "Medley" 1971 - YouTube">