Arthur Lee "Red" Smiley
Arthur Lee "Red" Smiley (May 17, 1925 – January 2, 1972) was an American bluegrass and country musician, best known for his guitar playing with Don Reno under the name Reno and Smiley.
Red Smiley | |
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Birth name | Arthur Lee Smiley |
Also known as | "Red" Smiley |
Born | Asheville, North Carolina, U.S. | May 17, 1925
Died | January 2, 1972 46) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | (aged
Genres | Bluegrass, country |
Occupation(s) | musician |
Instruments | Martin D-45 guitar |
Associated acts | Reno and Smiley |
Smiley was born in Asheville, North Carolina, United States. He retired in 1968 but returned temporarily in the early 1970s to perform once more with Don Reno. While returning home from a tour of Eastern Canada and the Northeastern United States, Smiley died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in January 1972 at the age of 46, due to complications with diabetes. He was buried at the DeHart Cemetery in the Jackson Line community of Bryson City, North Carolina.
Legacy
In 1992, he was posthumously inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor, now called the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.