X-Nico

5 unusual facts about Johnny Smith


John Tropea

Influenced by Wes Montgomery, Johnny Smith, Luiz Bonfá, Pat Martino, and George Benson, it was at this time that Tropea began to absorb those influences into an original style of his own.

Johnny Smith

Smith claims to have learned about guitar design by observing master luthier John D'Angelico, who was his friend and guitar supplier when he lived in New York.

In 1961, Ted McCarty, then president of Gibson, went to meet the retired Smith at his home in Colorado Springs.

Separated Vegetables

As well as songs written by the band, it includes cover versions of songs originally by Overkill (an early D.C. punk band, not the heavy metal band of the same name), Flamin' Groovies, the Road Runners, Johnny Smith, Country Joe and the Fish, the Small Faces, Chuck Berry, and the Hangmen (whose song, "What a Girl Can't Do", the Slickee's had already released on their debut record, 1976's Hot and Cool EP.

Walk, Don't Run, Vol. 2

It features "Walk Don't Run '64," an updated recording of the Johnny Smith cover; as a single, it would be the second time the band had a Top 10 hit in the U.S. with that same composition. The album also includes a rendition of blues classic "The House of the Rising Sun," and "Rap City," the Ventures' arrangement of Brahms' Hungarian Dance No. 5.


Joe Morello

After moving to New York City, Morello worked with numerous notable jazz musicians including Johnny Smith, Tal Farlow, Stan Kenton, Phil Woods, Sal Salvador, Marian McPartland, Jay McShann, Art Pepper, Howard McGhee, and others.


see also

Johnny Smith and Poker-Huntas

It stars Elmer Fudd's prototype Egghead as Johnny Smith, a caricature of the colonist Captain John Smith, who arrives on the Mayflower to be met by some sarcastic Native Americans as he makes his escape with Poker-Huntas, a caricature of Pocahontas, and makes off to England with her to raise a family.

Robert Benedetto

He also re-designed the Guild Artist Award (later the Johnny Smith Award) and the Guild Stuart X-700.