JOSH SMITH
Josh Smith was born October 7, 1979 in Middletown, Connecticut. Before
he was 1, his family relocated to Florida, eventually settling in
Pembroke Pines, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale. At age 3, he received his
first guitar and at 6, he started taking guitar lessons.
Josh was exposed to the blues at an early age. He listened to a variety of artists, such as Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Albert King and T-Bone Walker.
He also started going to concerts, including the Allman Brothers, Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen.
By 12, Josh was playing at established professional blues jams in South Florida, such as Musicians Exchange Café in Fort Lauderdale and Club M in Hollywood, FL.
DISCOGRAPHY 1996-2022 (11CD)
BIOGRAPHY
Josh Smith was born October 7, 1979 in Middletown, Connecticut. Before
he was 1, his family relocated to Florida, eventually settling in
Pembroke Pines, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale. At age 3, he received his
first guitar and at 6, he started taking guitar lessons.Josh was exposed to the blues at an early age. He listened to a variety of artists, such as Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Albert King and T-Bone Walker.
He also started going to concerts, including the Allman Brothers, Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen.
By 12, Josh was playing at established professional blues jams in South Florida, such as Musicians Exchange Café in Fort Lauderdale and Club M in Hollywood, FL.
When Josh was 13, the Rhino Cats, house band at Club M, asked him to be
the lead guitarist. Musicians Exchange owner Don Cohen was so taken aback
by the talent of this young musician that he offered to help manage and
develop Josh’s career.
The Café was renowned for bringing in the best national touring blues
bands, and Josh was quick to learn how to approach these blues greats,
many of whom would invite Josh to sit in with them, thinking it may be a
“novelty” to have a 14-year-old kid playing the blues. The novelty quickly
wore off and was replaced by musicians stopping, watching and listening as
this “kid” wailed out blues licks better than many of the touring
guitarists on the circuit.
Josh began sitting in with such greats as Jimmy Thackery, Tinsley Ellis,
Kenny Neal, Lucky Peterson, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Johnny “Clyde” Copeland,
Double Trouble, Joanna Connor and Kim Simmonds, among others. Jimmy
Thackery said of the 14-year-old, “Josh is three heartbreaks away from
being a true blues guitar genius.” At 14, Josh released his first CD, Born
Under a Blue Sign, and at 15, he released his second CD,
Woodsheddin.
While performing all over South Florida, Josh Smith and the Rhino Cats
quickly became one of the most in-demand blues bands in the area. In 1994,
while Josh was only 15, they received the Florida Jammy Award for best
blues band and were selected as XS Readers Choice Winners in 1995 for best
blues band. In 1996, then a senior in high school, Josh was put on the
cover of the national magazine High School Senior, which hailed him as an
“Up and Coming Guitar Legend.” That same year, Washburn Guitars Int’l
recognized Josh’s talent and offered him an endorsement. They flew Josh to
Chicago and guitar luthier Grover Jackson built him a custom guitar.
Although Josh was an honor student, after graduation from high school in
June 1997, Josh followed his heart and began pursuing what he was best at.
His first national tour ensued with his newly formed power trio, Josh
Smith and the Frost. Josh was now the band leader and vocalist, so he not
only had to continue developing his guitar chops, but had to concentrate
on his vocal prowess. In September 1997, Josh enlisted world-renowned
producer Jim Gaines, whose credits include Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughn,
Luther Allison, Steve Miller and Jimmy Thackery, to produce his third CD,
Too Damn Cold.
By 1998, Josh had completed four national tours with his band. In January
1998, Billboard Magazine took note of the rising young talent in a
Continental Drift article. In February 1998, Josh was asked to support
B.B. King on a number of theatre dates. In March 1998, the TV show Chicago
Hope purchased the rights to the tune “32 degrees” from Too Damn Cold. An
international CD release, The Mentos Freshmaker Tour, included the title
cut, “Too Damn Cold,” in the spring of 1998.
Josh toured nationally all of 1999 and in October of that year, he
entered the recording studio again with Jim Gaines and produced Woman, his
fourth CD. This CD was released and well received in the spring of 2000.
Josh continued to tour the East Coast from New York to Florida through
2001 with his band. In June 2002, he married and he and his wife decided
to move to Los Angeles. Josh was ready for something new and wanted to be
around a variety of musicians. He also began being a sideman.
Within a year of moving to L.A., he was retained by Virgin recording
artist Ricky Fante. He played nationally and internationally with Ricky
for the next two years.
In May 2006, Josh recorded his fifth CD, Deep Roots. A more traditional
blues CD, his music was once again well received by Blueswax and Blues
Revue magazine. Josh continued to play with a variety of artists, such as
actress Taryn Manning, Universal hip-hop artist Benny Cassette and Tara
Ellis, to name a few. In January 2007, Josh was hired by 2006 American
Idol winner Taylor Hicks to be his lead guitarist.
They completed two national tours from February-September 2007 with
monthly dates and charity events until June 2008 when Taylor started
Grease! on Broadway. In July 2008, Josh was hired by Raphael Saadiq to
help promote his forthcoming CD, The Way I See It, set to be released on
September 16 with a national and international tour to follow.
