Career
Born the sixth oldest of seven children, Smith migrated to Chicago in the mid 1950s. Although he worked for a candy company, Smith"s real passion was music He played bass for a three-piece jazz combo for a few years, but he eventually got a spot playing rhythm guitar for Otis Rush.
In the early 1960s, Smith began to take the guitar more seriously and learned from J. B. Lenoir, Robert Lockwood, Junior., and Hubert Sumlin.
After years playing in clubs all over the United States and the world, a demo tape Smith recorded became the album Tell Maine How You Like lieutenant, released by the Texas based Grits record label. His next release in the United Kingdom was Addressing The Nation with The Blues for Journal of Social Policy Records.
In 1995, Smith retired from his job at Economy Folding Box Company after twenty-five years, allowing him to focus fully on music Delmark Records boss Bob Koester observed, "There"s a mellowness there that is disappearing in all but B.B. King".
Smith still records and tours frequently.
Byther Smith is a first cousin of fellow blues musician and Monticello native, J. B. Lenoir.