Cal Smith
b. Calvin Grant Shofner, 7 April 1932, Gans, Oklahoma, USA. The family moved to California, where he met the rodeo-rider Todd Mason, becoming his stooge for knife and bullwhip tricks. Mason taught him how to play the guitar and at the age of 15 he was a vocalist with the San Francisco country band, Kitty Dibble And Her Dude Ranch Wranglers. After military service, he played bass for Bill Drake, whose brother Jack was a prominent member of Ernest Tubb's Texas Troubadours. This led to him becoming master of ceremonies under the name of Grant Shofner, for Ernest Tubb and the Texas Troubadours from 1962-68. His first appearance on one of Tubb's recordings was The Great Speckled Bird in 1963. Tubb arranged a record contract with Kapp and Smith's first record on the US country charts was The Only Thing I Want in 1967. Two years with Decca followed and he finally broke through with I've Found Someone Of My Own and a chart-topping Bill Anderson song, The Lord Knows I'm Drinking. He joined MCA in 1973 and had further chart-toppers with the Don Wayne songs, Country Bumpkin and It's Time To Pay The Fiddler. A 1974 hit, also written by Bill Anderson, was called Between Lust And Watching TV and he recorded a popular ‘mother’ song, Mama's Face. His last Top 20 hit on the US country charts was I Just Came Home To Count The Memories in 1977. Although Smith has a good voice, he was often landed with mediocre material he subsequently left the business for several years. He joined Ernest Tubb on his double-album THE LEGEND AND THE LEGACY although it's bizarre to hear two men singing Our Baby's Book.