Stuff Smith

Stuff Smith
Stuff Smith by William P. Gottlieb
Stuff Smith by William P. Gottlieb
Background information
Birth nameHezekiah Leroy Gordon Smith
Born(1909-08-14)August 14, 1909
Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S.
Died(1967-09-25)September 25, 1967 (aged 58)
Munich, Germany
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician, singer
InstrumentViolin

Hezekiah Leroy Gordon Smith (August 14, 1909 – September 25, 1967), better known as Stuff Smith, was an American jazz violinist.[1] He is well known for the song "If You're a Viper" (the original title was "You'se a Viper").

Smith was, along with Stéphane Grappelli, Michel Warlop, Svend Asmussen, Ray Nance and Joe Venuti, one of jazz music's preeminent violinists of the swing era.

  1. ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (2002). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 407. ISBN 1-85227-937-0.