Carl Smith died she was 82,

Carl Smith, a country music hit maker of the 1950s and 1960s known for his dynamic voice and good looks, has died. He was 82.

(March 15, 1927 - January 16, 2010)

Carl Smith was born in Maynardville, Tenn. He began singing in WROL radio while still in high school

. After serving in the Navy

, and guesting on other radio station, Carl performed on the Grand Ole Opry. In 1950, he signed with Columbia Records and with WSM radio. Carl became one of the most recognizable country singers of the 1950s. He charted 30 Top 10 singles in that decade, including “Loose Talk,” “Wicked Lies,” and “You Are the One.”


Smith had 41 chart singles during the 1950s, including the hits "Are You Teasing Me," "Back Up Buddy," and "Hey Joe!"
Smith was a member of the Grand Ole Opry but left in 1956 to try his hand at acting. He appeared in two westerns, "The Badge of Marshal Brennan" and "Buffalo Gun."
From 1964 to 1969, he hosted 190 episodes of "Carl Smith's Country Music Hall" on Canadian television. In the late 1970s, he retired from the music business, but later recorded for the Gusto label in 1983. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2003.


In 1951, Carl Smith married

June Carter (who later married Johnny Cash). The couple had a daughter in 1955, Rebecca Smith, who later became known as country singer Carlene Carter. She died in 2005.


In 1956, Carl Smith quit the Grand Ole Opry and focused on an acting career

. He joined the Philip Morris Country Music Show and began touring the United States. He also made regular appearances on the Ozark Jubilee.
In 1957, Carl and June Carter divorced. The same year, Carl married Goldie Hill. Throughout the 1960s, Carl’s career began to slow, though he did chart several Top 10 singles, including “Take My Ring Off Your Finger,” and “Deep Water".

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