Fred Sledge Smith
| Fred Sledge Smith | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Fred Smith |
| Born |
May 18, 1933 Los Angeles, California, US |
| Died | July 29, 2005 (aged 72) Los Angeles |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, record producer |
| Years active | Late 1950s–mid-1970s |
| Associated acts |
The Olympics Bob & Earl Jackie Lee Bill Cosby Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band |
Fred Sledge Smith (May 18, 1933 – July 29, 2005), often credited as Fred Smith, was an American R&B songwriter and record producer, who worked in particular with The Olympics, Bob & Earl, Bill Cosby, and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band.
Smith was born in Los Angeles, where his mother, Effie Smith, worked as a singer and comic entertainer. He started his career as a songwriter in the 1950s with his friend Cliff Goldsmith. They wrote the novelty song "Western Movies", which was recorded by vocal group The Olympics, who were managed by Smith's stepfather, John Criner. The song was released on the Demon record label, and rose to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #7 on the R&B chart, in 1958.
Smith and Goldsmith continued to co-write novelty and dance songs together until the early 1960s. Their hits for the Olympics included "Hully Gully" (later reworked as "Peanut Butter" by the Marathons, for which Smith and Goldsmith also received the writing credit), "Shimmy Like Kate" (an adaptation of the 1920s song "I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate"), and "Dance By The Light of the Moon"; they also wrote "Patti Ann", a 1962 hit for Johnny Crawford. The song "Hully Gully" was later covered by many other artists, including Chubby Checker and The Beach Boys. Smith and Goldsmith also co-produced many of the Olympics' early records, with Smith taking over sole production responsibilities in about 1963.
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