Editing Tab Smith (section)

==Biography==
Smith was born in [[Kinston, North Carolina]], [[United States]].<ref name="Dead"/> He joined his first professional band, the Carolina Stompers, in 1929. In the 1930s and 1940s, he spent several years in the bands of [[Lucky Millinder]] and [[Count Basie]],<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/tabsmith |title=Tab Smith |first=Scott |last=Yanow |work=Verve Music Group |year=2014 |accessdate=July 28, 2014}}</ref> as well as spending long periods freelancing both as a player and as an arranger. In 1944, he participated in a recording date led by [[Coleman Hawkins]], for which he also arranged the material.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://papabecker.com/Coleman%20Hawkins%20Mai%201944.html |archive-url= https://archive.today/20130628033633/http://papabecker.com/Coleman%20Hawkins%20Mai%201944.html |url-status= usurped |archive-date= June 28, 2013 |title=Coleman Hawkins - Recordings 1944 |work=papabecker.com |year=2014 |accessdate=July 28, 2014}}</ref> After the [[World War II|Second World War]], he led his own groups, which concentrated on rhythm and blues.

His biggest R&B [[hit record|hit]] was "[[Because of You (1940 song)|Because of You]]" (1940), which reached number 1 on the [[United States|US]] ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|R&B]] [[record chart|chart]], and number 20 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|pop chart]], in 1951. "Because of You" was recorded for [[United Records]], a [[record label|label]] for which Smith was a prolific artist until it closed in 1957.<ref name="unitedstates">{{cite web |url=http://campber.people.clemson.edu/unitedstates.html |title=The United and States Labels Part I (1951-1953) |first1=Robert |last1=Pruter |first2=Robert L. |last2=Campbell |first3=Tom |last3=Kelly |work=[[Clemson University]] |date=August 13, 2013 |accessdate=July 28, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731034210/http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/unitedstates.html |archivedate=July 31, 2009 }}</ref> Tab Smith cut 24 [[Single (music)|singles]] and a 10-inch [[album]] for the label. On his United sides, Smith sometimes played [[tenor saxophone]].

During the 1950s, Smith was a significant rival to alto saxophone-playing bandleader [[Earl Bostic]], who recorded for [[King Records (USA)|King]]. He was also in competition with his own formative influence, [[Johnny Hodges]], until Hodges returned to the [[Duke Ellington]] band in 1955.

His career never recovered from the closure of [[United Records]]. After brief stays at [[Checker Records|Checker]] and King, Smith retired from the music business in the early 1960s. He sold real estate and played piano part-time in a steakhouse.

He died in [[St. Louis, Missouri]], in August 1971, aged 62.<ref name="Dead"/>