I first met Smokey in 1982 through Jillina Arigo, who was a booking agent and promoter of the blues. Big Smokey Smothers was a guitarist who had recorded with Howlin' Wolf and had recorded his own sides with Freddie King on the Federal label.

I still can't remember how I started playing bass with Smokey, but it all started at B.L.U.E.S. on Halsted. Smokey's band,the Ice Cream Men, would start at 5:00 pm on Sundays and then Sunnyland Slim's band would play from 9:00-1:00 am. Boy those were great Sundays! The Ice Cream Men were Smokey Smothers on guitar, Illinois Slim on guitar, Lester Davenport on Harmonica, Steve Cushing on drums, and I was on bass. I would do this gig as much as possible. It gave me a lot of exposure on the Chicago blues scene.

Through this gig I met Jimmy Rogers and Andrew Brown,and got jobs with both of them. Smokey would play and sing lots of songs by Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, and Little Walter.He also recreated a lot of the Songs that he recorded for The Federal Label. His slide playing was raw and his vocals were haunting. Smokey was a Big Influence on My Blues Style.

Smokey's Past on In This World But I know He's Up There Jamming With The Best

Link to Info On 1962 Recordings of Smokey Smothers with Freddie King
King/Federal/DeLuxe Story