Tennessee Smith passed away !!

Tennessee Smith passed away

16-09-2009

John Orvia "Tennessee" Smith, a member of the Sunshine Boys Quartet (where he played fiddle and sang tenor) and the TV Wranglers, died on September 2, 2009, in Griffin. He was 91 years old and is survided by his wife and many children.

The Sunshine Boys recorded several sides for Decca. The quartet specialized in country and gospel music. The band performed live for Atlanta radio stations WSB and WAGA. The musicians also appeared at rallies around Atlanta to sell war bonds. The group picked and played its way to Hollywood and appeared in Western movies.

Smith was also a member of the TV Wranglers, another Atlanta based country group that was very popular in the 1950s on radio and TV. The TV Wranglers were inducted into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame in 1991.

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