Randy's Bio
Randy has been a string musician for over twenty years. He plays guitar, mandolin and bass but is most known for his fiddle playing. He has performed in twelve countries around the world with bands or ensembles of various musical styles. He has toured or recorded with many national artists and some of the top musicians in the industry.
By the time Randy graduated from high school, he was involved in many styles of music such as jazz, country and rock. He studied music at The Georgia Academy of Music and through private individual instruction .Around this same time he was introduced to fiddler Mark O’Connor. Mark was living in Atlanta and was a member of The Dixie Dregs. Randy performed with Mark several times including a concert at Chastain Park. This experience would forever change Randy’s focus on music and the violin.
Throughout the 1980’s, he performed in many bands on guitar, bass, mandolin and violin/fiddle. In 1985, he began playing with Bo Griner, a great entertainer, out of Atlanta who recorded Travis Tritt’s song “Spend a Little Time”. Randy says “Travis would come out to Miss Kitty’s in Marietta and sing it with us; he didn’t have his own band together yet”.
In 1989, Randy got a call from Gordon Dee about a new artist he was putting a band together for named “Doug Stone”. He went to a few rehearsals but decided to buy the music store he was working at instead of playing with Doug, Thus was born “West Atlanta Music” an endeavor that would take Randy many years to recover from financially.
After the music store closed, he traveled across the mid-west to Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with the group Savannah. It was then that he realized his passion was to perform, not own a music store. In 1991, Mama’s Country Showcase reopened and Randy was recruited for the House Band. He performed there as an opening act for a who's who list of current Country stars including Tim Mcgraw, Chris Ledoux, Tanya Tucker, Little Texas, Billy Dean and was asked to perform on stage with southern rock's Black Oak Arkansas. He was a member of Gunsmoke when the infamous platform fell and injured some band members.
In 1995, Randy became a member of the Church Street Station band in Orlando, Florida. A winner of the true value country music showdown and the host of the Nashville Networks "Church Street Station" This was one of the most sought after gigs in the southeast with insurance benefits and paid vacations. There he performed with Bo Griner, Forest Rogers, Doug Stock, Mike Morrison and Dink Cook.
In 1996, he began touring with Holly Dunn and moved to Nashville where he lived with his long time friend and World Renowned Fiddler, Randy Howard. Randy Howard helped Randy Smith with his career more than any one person, allowing him to accompany him to recording sessions he played on such as Garth Brooks Sevens Album, Jeffery Steele, Kenny Chesney, Shelby Lynne and live performances at the Grand Ole Opry of Randy Howard and Chet Atkins playing as a Duo. He also recommended Randy Smith for many of the artists Randy Smith eventually toured or recorded with including Chely Wright, Gene Watson, Crawford/West and more. Devastatingly, Randy Howard passed away from cancer in 1999.
Randy Smith moved back to Atlanta where he currently resides. He joined the band Trotline, a very popular band in the southeast college circuit. Out of his connection with Trotline and their agent Music Garden he has formed his newest project Haywire. Haywire is an up and coming act on the college circuit as well. Randy has two companies, Sound Shack Studio and Corporate and Leisure Entertainment Productions. He is working as a Producer and Studio Musician in Atlanta and Nashville. He is currently recording a new original project with Haywire to be released soon.