Beasley Smith
John Beasley Smith (September 27, 1901 – May 14, 1968) was an American composer and big band musician. "That Lucky Old Sun" (1949) one of his better known works, was covered by many well-known artists. He often worked with Haven Gillespie and toured the nation with his group, Beasley Smith and His Orchestra. |
Birth and Death Data: Died May 14, 1968 (Nashville (capital and largest city of Tennessee, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1942 - 1953
Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter, composer, lyricist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BS-073717 | 10-in. | 3/18/1942 | Deliver me to Tennessee | Ray Kellogg ; Sonny Dunham Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal ensemble | songwriter | |
| Victor | E0VB-3216 | 10-in. | 2/8/1950 | God's country | Phil Harris ; Walter Scharf Orchestra and Chorus | Male vocal solo, with vocal chorus and instrumental ensemble | composer | |
| Victor | E0VB-3479 | 10-in. | 5/9/1950 | Don't make me sorry | Frankie Carle Orchestra ; Terri Stevens | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Victor | D6VB-1980 | 10-in. | 12/17/1946 | Tennessee central no. 9 | Golden West Cowboys ; Pee Wee King | Male vocal solo, with string band | composer | |
| Victor | D7VB-1321 | 10-in. | 8/11/1947 | City of Memphis | Riders of the Rio Grande ; Johnny Tyler | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | songwriter | |
| Victor | D7VB-1536 | 10-in. | 8/20/1947 | (In the) hills of tomorrow | Eddy Arnold | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
| Victor | D7VB-2226 | 10-in. | 11/20/1947 | Beg your pardon | Larry Green ; Larry Green Orchestra | Vocal trio with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Victor | D9VB-0141 | 10-in. | 1/25/1949 | My bashful Nashville gal from Tennessee | Buddy Moreno Orchestra | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | composer | |
| Victor | D9VB-0778 | 10-in. | 11/9/1949 | The old master painter | Phil Harris Orchestra | Male vocal solo, with vocal chorus and instrumental ensemble | composer | |
| Victor | D9VB-1489 | 10-in. | 5/16/1949 | That lucky old sun (just rolls around heaven all day) | Moon Men ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra | Male vocal solo, with male vocal group and jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Columbia | HCO810 | 10-in. | 5/28/1942 | Night train to Memphis | Roy Acuff ; Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Columbia | HCO2206 | 10-in. | 1/28/1947 | Tennessee Central (Number 9) | Roy Acuff ; Smoky Mountain Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | composer, lyricist | |
| Columbia | CO45773 | 10-in. | 4/16/1951 | Tennessee hillbilly ghost | George Morgan | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
| Columbia | CO45774 | 10-in. | 4/16/1951 | Waltzing by the Ohio | George Morgan | Male vocal solo, with string band and chorus | songwriter | |
| Columbia | CO45775 | 10-in. | 4/16/1951 | My heart keeps telling me | George Morgan | Male vocal solo, with string band and mixed vocal chorus | songwriter | |
| Columbia | CO49425 | 10-in. | 5/19/1953 | I'd rather die young (than grow old without you) | Rose Maddox | Female vocal solo, with string band | songwriter |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Smith, Beasley," accessed December 25, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/356548.
Smith, Beasley. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 25, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/356548.
"Smith, Beasley." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 25 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Smith, Beasley - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n93083592
Wikidata: Beasley Smith - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2620835
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/9802155919357339730004
MusicBrainz: Beasley Smith - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/67e2831b-4072-4c92-aeef-eb5fd6184abe
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