Henry Smith

This British country and western singer/songwriter was only five years old when he started playing drums in his father's band. Showing even more initiative than drummer Jimmy Carl Black of "when do we get paid?" fame, Henry Smith the toddler supposedly was asking his old man for his salary even before his gig was over. This quite direct interest in commerce continued as Smith began his solo recording career, his 2005 debut album titled in the form of an address to the individuals who potentially could do the most good for him, Hello DJ.

Smith, moving to both guitar and piano as well as singing, leads his own group named Country Dreams. He followed up his first CD with a live set that demonstrates, at least symbolically, his success motivating crowds to dance to his music. Besides blending plenty of line dance material into the set, Smith himself is known for dancing with audience members while still performing with his trusty "head mike," kind of like Garth Brooks in a pub with fish and chips on his breath. His own songwriting contributions have so far been limited to a single track per CD, including the title cut on Hello DJ and the selfless "Your Love." Smith fills his set lists with hardcore country from writers such as Merle Haggard as well as covers of contemporary hits, agreeing with the drinkers' notion that "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere."