About Richard Smith

Richard Smith is a world-renowned fingerstyle guitarist, born in Beckenham, Kent, England, in 1971. He started playing guitar at the age of five, demonstrating prodigious talent from an early age. At just eleven, he had the incredible opportunity to share the stage with his idol, Chet Atkins, at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London.

Smith is celebrated for his vast repertoire, which spans from classical pieces by Bach and Chopin, to Scott Joplin rags, Sousa marches, Beatles pop, fiddle tunes, and gypsy jazz. He won the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship in 2001 and received the Golden Thumbpick Award from the Association of Fingerstyle Guitarists.

Currently, he resides in Nashville and performs globally as a solo artist, in a duo with his wife, cellist Julie Adams, and with his brothers Rob and Sam in the Richard Smith Guitar Trio. He is also the founder of the swing band The Hot Club of Nashville.

Key Collaborations:

Richard Smith has collaborated with numerous world-renowned artists, including:

• Chet Atkins: His mentor and idol, with whom he shared the stage from a young age.
• Julie Adams: His wife and cellist, with whom he performs in a duo.
• Rob and Sam Smith: His brothers, with whom he forms the Richard Smith Guitar Trio.
• Stuart Duncan, Pat Bergeson, Bryan Sutton, John Jorgenson: Members of his band, The Hot Club of Nashville.
• Tommy Emmanuel: They collaborated on the track “Son of a Gun” from Tommy Emmanuel’s album Accomplice Two.
• Martin Taylor
• Muriel Anderson
• Jim Nichols
• Joscho Stephan and Rory Hoffman: With whom he forms the Transatlantic Guitar Trio.

Selected Discography:

• With The Richard Smith Guitar Trio:
• 1996: The Richard Smith Guitar Trio
• 1997: Welcome to Smithville
• 1998: Strike it Rich!
• 1999: Out of Bounds
• With Julie Adams:
• 2001: Living Out a Dream
• 2009: Seems Like Old Times
• With Joscho Stephan:
• Transatlantic Guitar Trio (with Rory Hoffman)
• Solo Albums:
• 2002: Requests
• 2006: Fingerstyle Artistry
• 2007: Slim Pickin’
• 2017: One Man Roadshow

Notable Arrangements and Original Compositions:

Richard Smith is celebrated for his interpretations and arrangements of classic tunes and standards across various genres. He’s known for his ability to transform familiar melodies with rhythmic variations, alternative voicings, and innovative approaches, while still preserving the essence of the original piece.

While his discography features many interpretations of other artists’ works, he has also composed original pieces. For instance, his albums Puma Creek and First Kiss include original compositions by Richard Smith, such as their respective title tracks. Other original compositions include “Kid Stuff” from Rockin’ the Boat. His live performances and recordings often feature a blend of original compositions and inventive arrangements of jazz standards, Joplin rags, stride piano pieces, and classical music, incorporating influences from gypsy jazz, western swing, blues, bluegrass, country, and pop.

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