Arthur Smith, born April 1, 1921, in Clinton, South Carolina, was an American musician, composer, and record producer. Initially playing the cornet with his brothers in the Dixieland combo, the Carolina Crackerjacks, his breakthrough came with the instrumental "Guitar Boogie" (1945), which sold over three million copies and earned him a gold disc from the RIAA. He moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he joined the WBT Carolina Barndance radio program and later hosted The Arthur Smith Show, the first nationally syndicated country music television show. Smith composed nearly 500 copyrighted songs, including "Feudin' Banjos" (1955), which was later popularized as "Dueling Banjos" (1972) in the film Deliverance. He released several notable albums, including Specials (1955) and Fingers on Fire (1957). His compositions were recorded by numerous artists, including Chet Atkins and Glen Campbell. Smith died on April 3, 2014.
