arts & entertainment
ness otherwise had started to slow. Samuel was keeping the boys idle, patiently waiting for the right time to strike. Being young, hungry, and anxious to move forward, frustration was beginning to set in. During a group meeting, and in front of Timmy, Elec, and Laddie, Samuel brazenly told Earl he wanted to release ‘Pick Up Your Smile’ as a single, but with Earl as a solo artist. Wanting to preserve the unity of the group, Earl refused, but the seeds of dissent had been planted. The boys felt the label was losing interest in them as a group, and with Milton’s talk of Earl going solo, tension arose between the members. A few weeks later, Timmy and Elec, who were the representatives of the group in business matters, had a meeting with Milton that turned heated. Samuel interpreted their verbal attack as a threat, and THE SHOWSTOPPERS were asked to leave England. Angry and frustrated on the long trip back to the States, sides were taken and it had become apparent that the rift between the members was insurmountable. When they landed at Kennedy Airport, they said a final goodbye and parted ways. Other than a brief meeting Earl and Timmy would have with Elec in LA, the Smith brothers and the Burke brothers would never see each other again. Jerry Ross peeked his head out of his hole in the ground one more time. In the wake of the break-up, and still having usage rights to the name, Ross put an entirely different group of singers out on the road as THE SHOWSTOPPERS, in an attempt to again profit from their name. The Smiths would soon find their way to Newport. Earl had fallen in love with the city as a teen, having spent some time here living with his sister, “I first came here when I was 15, my sister Linda was in the Navy and stationed here. Spent a summer here, and man I thought I’d died and gone to heaven, it was the loveliest city I’d ever been to. And especially in the sixties, Newport was rockin’ in those days! I went to Rogers High School for a year before heading back to Philly, and then I got with THE SHOWSTOPPERS.” After a brief stint in LA, Earl and Timmy came back east, settling in Newport. It was here that the Smith brothers planted their roots. Earl got married. Both men had children, then eventually grandchildren. Surrounding themselves with family and friends made Newport a real home. After a five-year run of chasing the harlot that is stardom, the Smith brothers were able to reflect on their experiences, only to find that the most lasting memories were sometimes the purest even something as sim-
ple as seeing pride in the eyes of your loved ones. “The most emotional moment I’ve ever had on stage, and I’ve had a couple of those, was at a gig we were playing at the Uptown Theater in Philly when we were first getting hot. We were young and hungry, in gold suits, and looking clean! I look down and, there in the front row, I see my mother and father. And we are rockin’ the house, I mean just killin’ it! In the middle of ‘Houseparty’ the power in the theater goes out. We all grew up singing a cappella so we keep going, as does the drummer and the conga player, not missing a beat. The power came back on at just the right time, the rest of the music came back in, and the room went crazy! I think the crowd thought it was part the act! I look down at my parents and they’re just beaming. Wow, what a feeling!” “I’m so blessed to have had the experiences I’ve had, and so blessed to have been able to do it all with my brother. I miss him. I miss him a lot.” Two years ago, fate would again come-a-knockin’ on Earl’s door. He saw a TV commercial advertising an old friend and the composer of his biggest hit, Carl Fisher and The Vibrations, performing at the Park Theater in Cranston. Earl attended the show, and was taken backstage to say hello. “I hadn’t seen Carl in 43 years. I hadn’t seen him since I left the studio after doing ‘Houseparty.’” The two reconnected and began to discuss working together again. Timmy was able to get Earl in touch with Kev Roberts, the promoter who’s keeping the Northern Soul scene alive and well by throwing ‘allnighter’ and ‘weekender’ dance parties all over the world. When Kev heard what Earl and Carl were up to, contracts arrived and just like that, Earl was back in the business. As a member of The Vibrations, but of course still doing his signature hit, Earl performed this past March, at Prestatyn in Wales, to a massive and adoring crowd. With more shows in the works and international interest in 60’s Soul music still going strong, Earl shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. “It was a beautiful, beautiful life... and I’m trying to get some more of it.” Much thanks to the great Earl Smith for taking the time to revisit his career and share so many great stories. He provided me with much to work with. He’s a gentleman whose star shines bright. Contact me at deano@newportnaked.com if you’d like to share any recollections, stories, or pictures that help keep Newport’s rich Rock & Roll history alive. Also, feel free to open clubs and start bands so we can continue to make tomorrow’s history today!
70 fall 2013 • newportnaked.com