Johnny Smith

Johnny Henry Smith II (June 25, 1922 – June 11, 2013) was an American cool jazz and mainstream jazz guitarist. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Smith's family moved to Portland, Maine during the Great Depression. He taught himself to play guitar in pawnshops and at the age of thirteen, he began teaching others. Smith joined Uncle Lem and the Mountain Boys, a local hillbilly band, before pursuing his interest in jazz. He became well-known for writing the song 'Walk, Don't Run' in 1954. Smith's contributions to jazz earned him induction into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1984.More