Byther Smith, born Claude Earl John Smith on April 17, 1932 in Monticello, Mississippi, was an American blues musician. Orphaned young, he initially played gospel music before moving to Arizona as a teenager and learning double bass from local farmhands. In the mid-1950s, Smith migrated to Chicago with his wife Etta Mae, performing in clubs and learning guitar from J.B. Lenoir, Robert Lockwood Jr., and Hubert Sumlin. He recorded several singles before returning to gospel music with the Gospel Travellers in 1965. In the 1970s, he joined Theresa’s Tavern house band and toured with Big Mama Thornton and George "Harmonica" Smith. His first album Tell Me How You Like It was released by Grits Records in 1983. Throughout his career, Smith released notable albums including Housefire (1991) and I'm a Mad Man (1993). He retired from touring in 2015 and passed away on September 10, 2021, at the age of 89.
