Interview: G.E. Smith
By Roman Warmke - 8/13/2000
The name may not grab you, but the face is one of the most exposed of all time. G.E. Smith, an incredibly adept and influential guitarist is best known for his role as the leader of the Saturday Night Live Orchestra for ten years, from 1985 to 1995.
With his ponytail and devious grin, G.E. Smith has made an impression on anyone who has a t.v. set, lighting up the sound tubes with his smooth but rockin' style of blues that has led him to jam with some of the most influential musicians of our generations.
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Folks like Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Eddie Van Halen, Rickie Lee Jones, and Johnny Winter have all sough out G.E.'s expertise, and not a one of them has ever been disappointed.
G.E's. road to Saturday Night Live started with a stint on Broadway, as the guitarist for Gilda Radner's show "Gilda Live". The two became good friends, and soon were married. Gilda went to SNL, and G.E. went on the road as the axeslinger for the blue eyed combo Hall & Oates for six years, (79-85), where together they produced such hits as "Private Eyes", "Kiss Is On My List", and "Man Eater".
"It was insanely fun", G.E. exclaims. "We were so big that one year, we decided we would perform during summer - all year round!. We toured the northern hemisphere in the summer and the southern hemisphere during New York's winter."
In 1985, Live Aid and Farm Aid occurred, where G.E. and the Hall & Oates band ended up backing a lot of other musicians for those two shows as well.
"I ended up being the de facto music director for a lot of what went on, as we backed Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, and whoever didn't have a band."
After the benefit concerts, G.E.'s reputation as a creative workhorse was solidified, and when Hall & Oates decided to take a break in 1985, G.E. was named the music director for Saturday Night Live by producer Lorne Michaels. G.E. comments, "I was thrilled to take it."
Through the ten year stint on America's television sets, G.E. won a Emmy for his role, and worked with every top notch musician on the planet.
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G.E. also scored a smash hit in his songwriting department, when actor/comedian Mike Meyers employed G.E.'s expertise in writing a theme song for a little skit he called "Wayne's World."
"Aerosmith was the musical guest that week", G.E. explains, "so Mike and I sat down and wrote a song that Aerosmith could play and sing with."
As we all know, Wayne's World became an international super smash hit, and the soundtrack went platinum. Party on, Excellent!
As if that wasn't enough for any musician's resume, G.E., while working for SNL, also toured with the legendary Bob Dylan, as a guitarist in his band. "I was tiiiired", Smith later said.
Other credits during that time frame included being hired as the music director for the 1988 Emmy Awards, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, and Bob Dylan's 30th Anniversary Concert at Madison Square Garden.
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Smith says of this event, "I was rehearsing with George Harrison in the morning, Eric Clapton in the afternoon, and Lou Reed at night. One afternoon, I had Harrison, Tom Petty, Clapton, Neil Young, Dylan, and Roger McGuinn all lined up and I'm saying, 'O.k. George, you sing here, Eric you play now, Bob, you come in here."
After SNL, Smith went on and continues to act as a guest musician in many roles, however, he has found a voice with the G.E. Smith Band, which features former drummer from Wings, Steve Holley. The same group also backs up G.E.'s current wife, Taylor Barton.
G.E. also takes time out each summer to teach guitar workshops at Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch, located just past the Athens County border in Meigs County. A concert performance on August 19, with ex- Jefferson Airplane and current Hot Tuna bassist Jack Casady, and Cleveland area drummer Eric Diaz will highlight this year's visit to our area.
"I've had an incredible ride in the world of Rock 'N Roll and American music", smith reflects, "but I'm looking forward to recording and releasing my solo material."
Information on the G.E. Smith Concert can be obtained by calling 740-992-7595, or by visiting the Fur Peace Ranch website, located at www.furpeaceranch.com
Photo Credit: Beverly Howell, HPI
