Hobart Smith was an American old-time musician renowned for his banjo playing. Raised in a musically-inclined family, he began playing the banjo at age seven and later mastered the fiddle, guitar, piano, harmonica, accordion, and organ. In 1942, Smith recorded 40 tracks for Alan Lomax of the U.S. Library of Congress, including "Banging Breakdown," "Cuckoo Bird," and "Wayfaring Stranger," which helped preserve Appalachian music and brought him to the attention of folklorists and musicologists. He traveled to New York in 1946 to record for Moses Asch's Disc label, and these sessions, along with later recordings, documented both his solo work and collaborations with his sister Texas Gladden. Smith experienced a revival during the folk music resurgence of the 1960s, performing at numerous festivals, including the Newport Folk Festival in 1964. Key recordings highlighting his legacy include Of Saltville, Virginia (1964), Blue Ridge Legacy (2001), and In Sacred Trust: The 1963 Fleming Brown Tapes (2005). Hobart Smith passed away on January 11, 1965.
