Song:Country Bumpkin
Album:The Best Of Cal Smith
Cal Smith had three number one country music hits in the 70s including Country Bumpkin in 1974. It is considered to be his signature song. He was born Calvin Shofner Apr. 7, 1932 in Gans, OK. Like many Okies during the Depression, Smith's family moved to California. He grew up in San Jose. He began singing as a teen and played clubs while working day jobs in the 50s. He also spent two years in the military. While working as a DJ and playing with his band, one of his bandmates tipped off country music legend Ernest Tubb who hired Smith in 1961. Of course Smith's goal was to have his own solo career. He signed with Kapp Records in 1966 and had enough success that he left Tubb's band in 1969. Smith signed with Decca in 1970 which was soon folded into parent company MCA Records. The 1972 single I've Found Someone Of My One was Smith's first top five country hit followed by his first number one hit The Lord Knows I'm Drinking. Country Bumpkin in 1974 and It's Time To Pay The Fiddler in 1975 were his other number one country hits. Country Bumpkin is considered to be Smith's signature song. Country Bumpkin is the biggest hit in the long songwriting career of Don Wayne. He also wrote Lefty Frizell's Saginaw, Michigan. Walter Haynes was the producer. He was an MCA staff producer and he worked with Smith since he signed with Decca. Country Bumpkin won the ACM and CMA Song of the Year awards. That was the height of Smith's success. He left MCA in 1977. You can get all of Smith's hits on this comp from the British oldies label Hux Records. These are the original recordings. Beware of re-recordings. Smith didn't record much after that. Like many country music stars, he had his own theater in Branson, MO. Cal Smith died on Oct. 10, 2013 at age 81. Here's Cal Smith performing Country Bumpkin 1974.
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