Cal Smith
A deep-voiced country singer who moved from Ernest Tubb's band to chart-topping solo success with smooth, story-rich hits like 'Country Bumpkin'.
1932–2013 (age 81)·American country music singer·Birthday: April 7·The Silent Generation
Biography
Cal Smith's journey in country music was one of steady, earned ascent. He paid his dues as a sideman, most notably as the guitarist in Ernest Tubb's legendary Texas Troubadours for nearly a decade. That grounding in traditional honky-tonk shaped his unflashy, reliable stage presence. When he stepped into the spotlight as a solo artist for Kapp Records in the late 1960s, his rich, calm baritone was the perfect vehicle for story-songs. His breakthrough came with 'Country Bumpkin,' a sentimental narrative that spent multiple weeks at number one and won the Country Music Association's Song of the Year award in 1974. Smith never chased trends; his sound was a blend of classic country warmth and the emerging Nashville polish, making him a beloved voice on the airwaves throughout the 1970s.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Cal was born in 1932, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Cal Was Born
The biggest hits of 1932
#1 Movie
Grand Hotel
Best Picture
Grand Hotel
Cal's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1932Born
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1937Started school
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1945Became a teenager
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Could drive
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1950Could vote
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Turned 21
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1962Turned 30
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 40
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 50
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 60
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 70
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 80
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2013Died at 81
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- Won the CMA Award for Song of the Year in 1974 for his signature hit 'Country Bumpkin'.
- Scored a No. 1 country hit with 'Country Bumpkin,' which stayed atop the charts for multiple weeks.
- Had another major No. 1 hit in 1975 with 'It's Time to Pay the Fiddler'.
- Was a longtime member of Ernest Tubb's Texas Troubadours, playing guitar and singing harmony.
Did You Know?
His real name was Calvin Grant Shofner.
Before music, he worked as a disc jockey and a truck driver.
He was of Cherokee descent.
His deep singing voice was in stark contrast to his speaking voice, which was reportedly much higher.
“I've got a honky-tonk angel on my shoulder and a devil in my glass.”
