He was born in
Checotah, Oklahoma, and grew up listening to
country and
gospel music. In the
Second World War he worked in a
bomber factory before joining the
United States Army Air Forces and being posted to England. As a
B-17 navigator, he flew combat missions over Germany, and was wounded during his 33rd mission. He retired as a Major and after the war he became a
public relations officer at
Carswell Air Force Base in
Fort Worth, Texas, and began writing songs for local musicians. He also claimed to have worked for
Don Robey, promoting records on Robey's
Duke and
Peacock labels, as well as producing some records himself by
R&B singer
Joe Hinton and others. He left the military in 1959, but used the designation Major in all his later dealings. He set up the LeCam record label and production company in Fort Worth with George Campbell; the name derived from that of Smith's wife Letitia, and Campbell. After several local hits, and reputedly turning down a young singer named
John Deutschendorf (later known as John Denver), his first national success came in 1962 as producer of
Bruce Channel's hit "
Hey! Baby", on which one of Smith's protégés,
Delbert McClinton, played
harmonica. The following year, Smith was approached by college students Ray Hildebrand and Jill Jackson, and recorded the duo immediately on hearing their song. As "
Hey Paula", credited to
Paul and Paula, it became an international hit. Smith's third major hit as a credited producer was "
Last Kiss", recorded by
J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers in 1964. He also co-wrote "
I Wouldn't Trade You for the World", a No. 1 hit on the Irish charts for
The Bachelors in October 1964. Other acts produced by Smith included Larry & the Blue Notes, Bobby Skel (Skelton),
T-Bone Walker,
The Legendary Stardust Cowboy, and
Gene Summers. and garnering four gold and one platinum record awards. He also preached and raised funds for charity at the Union Gospel Mission in Fort Worth. In 1983 Smith initiated a legal action against
Elvis Presley Enterprises, claiming it was interfering with his ability to publish a book about Presley; it was eventually published privately as
Elvis Lives along with two other books,
Memphis Mystery Part I and
Memphis Mystery Part II. Smith died in Texas in 1994, aged 72. ==Selected discography==