Photo: MCA Records · Public domain · credits
Tier 3 · vertical & regional
Cal Smith
Person · male · United States · Gans · born 1932 · died 2013 · recording since 1966
American country musician (1932–2013)
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Also known as Calvin Grant Shofner · Джуди Арман
Timeline
22 events▣ Album 18◦ Birth 1★ Debut release 1✦ Award 1† Death 1
1930s
1960s
· Debut release
Debut release: All the World Is Lonely Now
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
Biography
English biography593 words · 5 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1318410700
Biography
Calvin Grant Shofner (April 7, 1932 – October 10, 2013), known professionally as Cal Smith, was an American country musician.
Career
Calvin Grant Shofner was born on April 7, 1932, in Gans, Oklahoma, as the youngest of three sons of James "Otto" and Ethel (Quinn) Shofner. During the Great Depression, the Smiths headed west and settled in Oakland, California, and he grew up in San Jose, California. Smith began his music career performing at the Remember Me Cafe in San Francisco at the age of 15, but he was not financially successful at first. Throughout the 1950s, he was not able to continue his music career, so he worked at various other jobs, including truck driving and bronco busting. He appeared on the California Hayride television show in the mid-1950s before serving two years in the military.
After his discharge, he began playing in a band in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1961, country music legend Ernest Tubb heard the band play, and after an audition, hired Smith to play guitar for his Texas Troubadours; Smith is heard playing in most of Tubb's 1960s recordings. His first solo single was "Tear Stained Pillow" / "Eleven Long Years" on the local Plaid label. Smith's stage name began to catch on after he released his second solo single, "I'll Just Go Home", in 1966 for Kapp Records, and he first cracked the Billboard chart with his second single, "The Only Thing I Want".
Smith permanently parted ways with Tubb and the Texas Troubadours in 1969 and he released his first solo album, Drinking Champagne
Drinking ChampagneSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Empty Arms2:23A2Next in Line2:32A3So Much to Do2:20A4Love Me, Love Me2:39A5Santa in July2:50A6Drinking Champagne2:40B1I Started Loving You Again2:17B2Loser's Lounge2:53B3Worst of Luck2:05B4When You Are Gone2:29B5It's All Over but the Crying2:39, in 1969. The album's title track had reached the top 40 on the country chart the previous year, and was later a top-10 hit for George Strait in 1990.
In 1970, Smith signed with Decca Records, and his popularity quickly soared, starting off with his 1972 top-10 hit, "I've Found Someone of My Own
I've Found Someone Of My OwnSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1I've Found Someone of My Own3:03A2A Handful of Stars2:39A3Song Sung Blue2:45A4Sweet Things I Remember About You2:16A5The Lord Knows I'm Drinking2:50A6I Love You More Today2:37B1For My Baby2:37B2Empty Arms2:23B3(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay2:24B4That's What It's Like to Be Lonesome2:37B5Ballad of Forty Dollars3:02". He began recording songs written by some of the biggest names in the industry; for instance, in March 1973, his rendition of Bill Anderson's "The Lord Knows I'm Drinking" became his first number-one country hit. When Decca became MCA Records in 1973, he enjoyed his biggest successes. In 1974, he recorded two of his greatest hits, "It's Time to Pay the Fiddler
It's Time To Pay The FiddlerSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1It's Time to Pay the Fiddler3:39A2Baby's Gone3:00A3Infinity2:37A4The Heart of the Matter2:37A5Brother Jack3:06A6I Didn't Even Cry3:21B1She Talked a Lot About Texas3:21B2I'll Remember Her That Way2:41B3Mary Would Have Wanted It That Way5:14B4I Sure Hate to See Me Go2:24B5Drinking Champagne2:43" and "Country Bumpkin
Country BumpkinSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Country Bumpkin3:38A2Love Is The Foundation2:41A3They Don't Make 'Em Like My Daddy2:23A4I Love2:01A5Between Lust And Watching TV2:49A6Amanda2:49B1Behind Closed Doors2:41B2Jesus Is A Good Ole Boy2:21B3You've Never Been This Far Before3:09B4I Just Came Home To Count The Memories3:24B5Some Kind Of A Woman2:30", which received Song of the Year Awards from both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association.
Later career
Smith continued to have success with MCA Records into the late 1970s, including the top-20 singles "Between Lust and Watching TV" (1974), "She Talked a Lot About Texas" (1975), "I Just Came Home to Count the Memories
I Just Came Home To Count The MemoriesSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1I Just Came Home to Count the Memories3:24A2Woman Don't Try to Sing My Song2:57A3Feelin' the Weight of My Chains2:46A4After the Thrill Is Gone3:50A5Son, Run to the Spring2:52B1Come See About Me2:30B2Oklahoma Twister2:55B3The in Crowd2:45B4Anita, You're Dreaming2:26B5Till Then2:32B6Molly Ann4:13" (1977), and "Come See About Me" (1977). After this, he continued to have minor successes that included "The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire" in 1979. Smith released his last album, Stories of Life
Stories of LifeSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1Nobody Will Ever Take Your Place3:17A2Birds and Children Fly Away3:16A3I Know It's Not Over2:51A4Country Bumpkin3:34A5North Alabama2:51A6Lorene3:10B1I Think That I'd Be Better Off2:49B2Mobile Bay3:04B3The Show's Almost Over3:25B4Bein' Gone3:08B5King Lear3:07B6Lucy Needs a Friend3:04 by Cal Smith, in 1986 on Step One Records, where he scored a minor hit that year with "King Lear".
Personal life
In 1977, Smith joined entrepreneur Larry Schmittou and other country music stars, such as Conway Twitty, Jerry Reed, Larry Gatlin, and Richard Sterban, as investors in the Nashville Sounds, a minor league baseball team of the Double-A Southern League that began play in 1978.
Smith and his wife, Darlene, lived in the Branson, Missouri, area. Smith died in Branson on October 10, 2013. He was survived by Darlene, his son Calvin, five grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a son, Jimmie Todd.
Singles
A"The Lord Knows I'm Drinking" also peaked at No. 64 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 9 | 54.3th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 25 | 88.9th |
| Studio albums | 18 | 95.8th |
| Awards recorded | 2 | 92.6th |
| Timeline events | 22 | 94.7th |
| Recording span (years) | 47 | 88th |
| Genres | 1 | 56th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (25 release groups · 18 studio albums)
Albums · 18
1966 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 29:38
A1All the World Is Lonely Now2:15A2Swinging Doors2:40A3Take My Word2:19A4The Only Thing I Want2:39A5I'd Rather Be Alone2:07A6Love Has a Friend2:55B1Stranger in the House2:35B2Try Me One More Time2:52B3Shenandoah Waltz2:01B4Glass of Pride2:06B5She Told Me So2:22B6I'm Left Because She Was Right2:471967 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 29:08
A1I'll Sail My Ship Alone2:17A2I'll Never Be Lonesome With You2:14A3I Didn't Jump the Fence2:48A4Sam's Place1:53A5I Guess I Had Too Much to Dream2:46A6Five Minutes in the Arms of the Right Woman2:55B1The Bottle Let Me Down2:55B2If I Had My Life to Live Over2:04B3Big Ole Hurt2:27B4Sweet Things I Remember About You2:16B5Won't Somebody Please Kiss My Sweet Thing2:21B6Thanks a Lot for Trying2:121968 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 30:11
A1Jacksonville2:00A2Drinking Champagne2:40A3(Last Night) I Heard You Crying in Your Sleep2:15A4That's All That's Left of My Baby2:48A5You Were Only Teasing Me3:02A6The Message3:20B1Every Night You Make My Day3:05B2Home Wasn't Built in a Day3:12B3Honkey Tonk Blues2:28B4I Love You a Thousand Ways2:44B5Let's Turn Back the Years2:371968 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 29:24
A1Destination Atlanta G.A.2:32A2I Threw Away The Rose3:00A3Afraid To Care2:32A4Oklahoma2:23A5I Wish I Could Say No To You2:21A6You're Not Drowning Your Heartache2:07B1Shotgun Boogie2:42B2I Don't See How I Can Make It2:30B3Did She Ask About Me2:30B4Alone And Broke In Birmingham2:08B5I'll Just Go On Home2:23B6I Took Her For A Fool2:161969 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 27:47
A1Empty Arms2:23A2Next in Line2:32A3So Much to Do2:20A4Love Me, Love Me2:39A5Santa in July2:50A6Drinking Champagne2:40B1I Started Loving You Again2:17B2Loser's Lounge2:53B3Worst of Luck2:05B4When You Are Gone2:29B5It's All Over but the Crying2:39Cal Smith Sings It Takes Me All Night Long
1969 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 27:34
A1I Come Home a Drinkin’1:55A2Ballad of Forty Dollars3:00A3Margie’s at the Lincoln Park Inn3:20A4Life of the Party Charlie2:10A5When Two Worlds Collide2:20A6At the Sight of You2:40B1It Takes Me All Night Long1:53B2Darling, You Know I Wouldn't Lie2:41B3She’s Lookin’ Better by the Minute2:35B4I Don’t Get No Better Without You2:25B5Old Faithful2:351970 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 31:46
A1All I Have to Offer You Is Me3:00A2Working Man Blues2:44A3Okie From Muskogee2:44A4Daddy Sang Bass2:28A5Homecoming3:28A6I Love You More Today2:40B1Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town2:40B2To See My Angel Cry2:32B3One Has My Name the Other Has My Heart2:16B4Hungry Eyes (Mama's Hungry Eyes)3:27B5Boy Named Sue3:471972 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 29:13
A1I've Found Someone of My Own3:03A2A Handful of Stars2:39A3Song Sung Blue2:45A4Sweet Things I Remember About You2:16A5The Lord Knows I'm Drinking2:50A6I Love You More Today2:37B1For My Baby2:37B2Empty Arms2:23B3(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay2:24B4That's What It's Like to Be Lonesome2:37B5Ballad of Forty Dollars3:021973 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 27:51
A1I've Loved You All Over the World2:44A2An Hour and a Six-Pack2:40A3Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through)2:37A4Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues2:23A5I Can't Wait to Dream That Dream Again2:32A6I Can Feel the Leavin' Coming On2:36B1Bleep You2:35B2I Can't Keep My Hands Off of You2:36B3It's Not the Miles You Traveled2:19B4(Heaven Is) Just a Touch Away2:16B5The Green Door2:331974 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 30:26
A1Country Bumpkin3:38A2Love Is The Foundation2:41A3They Don't Make 'Em Like My Daddy2:23A4I Love2:01A5Between Lust And Watching TV2:49A6Amanda2:49B1Behind Closed Doors2:41B2Jesus Is A Good Ole Boy2:21B3You've Never Been This Far Before3:09B4I Just Came Home To Count The Memories3:24B5Some Kind Of A Woman2:301975 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 31:36
A1You Slip Into My Mind3:24A2The Ghost of Jim Bob Wilson2:57A3My Elusive Dream3:49A4When I Hear the Wind Blow2:45A5Mama's Face2:57B1Tabernacle Tom3:19B2Julie2:35B3Linda on My Mind2:55B4The Games That Daddies Play3:02B5Even a Wino Has a Home3:531975 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 34:43
A1It's Time to Pay the Fiddler3:39A2Baby's Gone3:00A3Infinity2:37A4The Heart of the Matter2:37A5Brother Jack3:06A6I Didn't Even Cry3:21B1She Talked a Lot About Texas3:21B2I'll Remember Her That Way2:41B3Mary Would Have Wanted It That Way5:14B4I Sure Hate to See Me Go2:24B5Drinking Champagne2:431976 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 32:44
A1Jason's Farm3:39A219 Years and 1800 Miles3:05A3One Run for the Roses3:16A4Talking to Your Memory Again2:45A5MacArthur's Hand3:45B1Thunderstorms4:09B2Sunday Morning Christian3:05B3I've Had You3:01B4Don't Worry About the Runt, Lord2:40B5The First Time3:19I Just Came Home To Count The Memories
1977 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 33:10
A1I Just Came Home to Count the Memories3:24A2Woman Don't Try to Sing My Song2:57A3Feelin' the Weight of My Chains2:46A4After the Thrill Is Gone3:50A5Son, Run to the Spring2:52B1Come See About Me2:30B2Oklahoma Twister2:55B3The in Crowd2:45B4Anita, You're Dreaming2:26B5Till Then2:32B6Molly Ann4:131984 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 27:43
A1They Don't Make 'em Like My Daddy2:20A2Burgers and Fries3:10A3Amanda2:46A4Have You Ever Been Lonely2:58A5Big City2:59B1Wrong Road Again2:08B2San Antonio Rose2:28B3Walkin' the Floor Over You2:10B4My Favorite Memory3:00B5For the Good Times3:441986 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 37:36
A1Nobody Will Ever Take Your Place3:17A2Birds and Children Fly Away3:16A3I Know It's Not Over2:51A4Country Bumpkin3:34A5North Alabama2:51A6Lorene3:10B1I Think That I'd Be Better Off2:49B2Mobile Bay3:04B3The Show's Almost Over3:25B4Bein' Gone3:08B5King Lear3:07B6Lucy Needs a Friend3:041998 · studio album
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Tracklist · 10 tracks · 31:46
1Arizona Whiz3:152Together Alone3:133You Should See Me Now2:464Bring Me My Memories in Person3:005The Lord Knows I'm Drinking3:096I've Found Someone of My Own3:257Drinking Champagne2:408The North Won the War Again Last Night3:109Country Bumpkin3:4210It's Time to Pay the Fiddler3:262014 · studio album
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Tracklist · 22 tracks · 1:09:36
1Jason's Farm3:35219 Years and 1800 Miles3:013One for the Roses3:124Talking to Your Memory Again2:425Macarthur's Hand3:466Thunderstorms4:117Sunday Morning Christian3:048I've Had You3:019Don't Worry About the Runt Lord2:4110The First Time3:2111Nobody Will Ever Take Your Place3:1412Birds and Children Fly Away3:1313I Know It's Not Over2:4714Country Bumpkin3:2915North Alabama2:4816Lorene3:0617I Think That I'd Be Better Off2:4718Mobile Bay3:0119The Show's Almost Over3:2220Bein' Gone3:0821King Lear3:0422Lucy Needs a Friend3:03
Album · 7
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | The Best Of Cal SmithSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 12 tracks · 28:16A1Drinking Champagne2:40 A2You Can't Housebreak A Tomcat2:33 A3Destination Atlanta2:32 A4I'll Sail My Ship Alone2:17 A5Silver Dew On The Bluegrass Tonight2:25 A6Heaven Is Just A Touch Away2:16 B1It Takes Me All Night Long1:53 B2So Much To Do2:20 B3Jacksonville2:00 B4I'll Just Go On Home2:23 B5The Only Thing I Want2:39 B6The Difference Between Going And Really Gone2:18 | Compilation | February 1971 | |
| 1973 | Swinging DoorsSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 10 tracks · 26:25A1Try Me One More Time2:52 A2The Message3:20 A3Thanks a Lot for Trying2:12 A4I Took Her for a Fool2:16 A5Swinging Doors2:40 B1Shotgun Boogie2:42 B2I Didn't Jump the Fence2:35 B3I Love You a Thousand Ways2:44 B4When Two Worlds Collide2:20 B5Okie From Muskogee2:44 | Compilation | 1973 | |
| 1975 | Cal's CountrySearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 14 tracks · 42:43A1Jason's Farm3:35 A2You Slip Into My Mind3:24 A3The Ghost of Jim Bob Wilson2:57 A4My Elusive Dreams3:49 A5Mama's Face2:54 A6When I Hear the Wind Blow2:46 A7They Don't Make 'em Like My Daddy2:23 B1Tabernacle Tom3:17 B2Julie2:37 B3(Lying Here With) Linda on My Mind2:54 B4The Games That Daddies Play3:00 B5An Hour and a Six-Pack2:38 B6I Can Feel the Leavin' Comin' On2:38 B7Even a Wino Has a Home3:51 | Compilation | 1975 | |
| 1986 | A Touch AwaySearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 8 tracks · 21:43A1Country Bumpkin3:39 A2That's What It's Like to Be Lonesome2:35 A3Jesus Is a Good Ole Boy2:21 A4Shot Gun Boogie2:44 B1Try Me One More Time2:51 B2Pass Me By2:36 B3Dringking Champegne2:41 B4(Heaven Is) Just a Touch Away2:16 | Compilation | 1986 | |
| 2008 | Studio 102 EssentialsSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 10 tracks · 27:551Amanda2:47 2Big City3:00 3Burgers and Fries3:11 4For the Good Times3:45 5Have You Ever Been Lonely2:59 6My Favourite Memory3:01 7San Antonio Rose2:30 8They Don't Make 'em Like My Daddy2:21 9Walkin' the Floor Over You2:12 10Wrong Road Again2:09 | Compilation | 2008 | |
| 2009 | The Best of Cal SmithSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 16 tracks · 51:301Jason's Farm3:40 2The Ghost of Jim Bob Wilson3:00 3An Hour and a Six Pack2:47 4Thunderstorms3:36 5Country Bumpkin3:42 6Between Lust and Watching T.V.2:54 7It's Time to Pay the Fiddler3:43 8She Talked a Lot About Texas3:25 9Drinking Champagne2:43 10Bits & Pieces of Life3:19 11Helen3:21 12I Just Came Home to Count the Memories3:31 13MacArthurs Hand3:54 14The Lord Knows I'm Drinking2:54 15Throwin' Memories on the Fire2:03 16Woman Don't Try to Sing My Song2:58 | Compilation | 18 December 2009 | |
| 2020 | American Portraits: Cal SmithSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 10 tracks · 27:171For the Good Times3:40 2My Favorite Memory2:58 3Walkin' the Floor Over You2:07 4San Antonio Rose2:25 5Wrong Road Again2:06 6Big City2:56 7Have You Ever Been Lonely2:55 8Amanda2:44 9Burgers and Fries3:09 10They Don't Make 'em Like My Daddy2:17 | Compilation | 3 July 2020 |
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Cal Smith head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 9 | 54.3th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 25 | 88.9th |
| Studio albums | 18 | 95.8th |
| Awards recorded | 2 | 92.6th |
| Timeline events | 22 | 94.7th |
| Recording span (years) | 47 | 88th |
| Genres | 1 | 56th |
Awards & honours
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame | lifetime | |
| 2007 | Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame | lifetime |
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cal_Smith.pngaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/320b4732-22ab-41f8-b566-b05bd4ede17fdiscography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/320b4732-22ab-41f8-b566-b05bd4ede17fcore—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1026127genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1026127seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cal_Smithbiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cal_Smith
Why this artist is in the database
- List of country music performers
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: MCA Records · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q1026127 · MusicBrainz: 320b4732-22ab-41f8-b566-b05bd4ede17f
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