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Artist
Roy Smeck
12+ albums
banjofolkbluesamericanavaudeville
about
Roy Smeck (born Leroy Smeck, 6 February 1900 – 5 April 1994) was an American musician. His skill on the banjo, guitar, steel guitar, and especially the ukulele earned him the nickname "Wizard of the Strings." Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, Smeck started on the vaudeville circuit. His style was influenced by Eddie Lang, Ikey Robinson, banjoist Harry Reser, and steel guitarist Sol Hoopii. Smeck could not sing well, so he developed novelty dances and trick playing to supplement his act. On 15 April 1923, Stringed Harmony, a short film starring Smeck made in the Lee DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process premiered at the Rivoli Theater in New York City. On 6 August 1926, Warner Brothers released Don Juan starring John Barrymore, the first feature released in the Vitaphone sound-on-disc system. On the program was a short film, His Pastimes, made in Vitaphone and starring Smeck, which made him an instant celebrity. Smeck appeared in the film Club House Party (1932) with singing star Russ Columbo. He also appeared with Columbo in That Goes Double (1933) which featured Smeck on a screen divided into four parts, playing steel guitar, tenor banjo, ukulele, and six-string guitar simultaneously. Smeck played at Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidential inaugural ball in 1933, George VI's coronation review in 1937, and toured globally. He appeared on television on variety shows hosted by Ed Sullivan, Steve Allen, and Jack Paar. Smeck invented and endorsed the Vita-Uke and other string
top songs
albums
Roy Smeck Plays Hawaiian Guitar
Roy Smeck Plays Hawaiian Guitar, Banjo, Ukulele and Guitar
The Best in Ukulele
The Magic Ukulele Of Roy Smeck
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The Wizard of the Strings
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100 Vintage Hawaiian Songs
Hi Fi Paradise
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South Seas Serenade
Victrola Favorites: Artifacts from Bygone Days
His Singing Guitar and Paradise Serenaders
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Vintage World Nº 28- EPs Collectors "South Of The Border"
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Victrola Favorites