BARKIN ' BILL SMITH

    BARKIN' BILL SMITH se pasó casi toda su vida cantando por  los bares del Mississipí, Saint Louis y Chicago con una voz cada vez más castigada , que sin duda dá carácter a sus Blues , por fin trás unos años en el más puro anonimato hacia finales de la década de los 90's se asoció al joven guitarrista DAVE SPECTER  de estilo más bien jazzy y grabando un par de discos , uno de ellos en nuestra ilustración GOTCHA. Aparece también en numerosas antologías principalmente referidas al Blues de Chicago , ahí tenéis una pequeña muestra de su estilo e incluso llegó a grabar con RONNIE EARL , y el bajista BOB STROGER , oídlo : 

                                  

From ''Bluebird Blues'' on Delmark Records.,1991 by

Dave Specter & Barkin' Bill Smith featuring Ronnie Earl

Barkin' Bill Smith : vocals

Dave Specter :guitar

Ronnie Earl : guitar 

&The Bluebirds :

Ken Saydak :piano,organ

Bob Stroger : electric bass

Michael McCurdy :acoustic bass

Jon Hiller : drums 

Dez Desormeaux : tenor sax 

Red Groetzinger : baritone sax

Recorded on November 11 & 12 ,1990 at the Chicago Recording Company

Produced by Robert G.Koester and Steve Wagner

                 

                 

Barkin' Bill Smith (August 18, 1928 – April 24, 2000) was an American Chicago blues and electric blues singer and songwriter. Although he was born in Cleveland, Mississippi, Smith spent his latter years in Chicago.

Smith was raised in Mississippi, but later relocated to East St. Louis, Detroit and finally Chicago. He obtained his stage name from Homesick James in 1958, after the pair had worked together. Smith sang in front of various blues bands around Chicago for many years, having been initially influenced by Joe Williams, Jimmy Witherspoon and Brook Benton. He finally made his recording debut in 1991, providing the vocals on Dave Specter's first album, Bluebird Blues. His connection with Delmark Records then continued when they issued Smith's own solo debut, Gotcha!, in 1994.Gotcha! featured guitar work by Steve Freund.

In his latter years declining health restricted his live appearances.

Smith died in April 2000 in Chicago, from pancreatic cancer, at the age of 71.