CHENNAI: As we leaf through old photographs of Tommy Smith and his band, the Caravelles, we come across photos of him with jazz greats like George Benson and Les Paul, showing that this man isn’t just a great bandleader, musician and family man, but he’s had a career of a lifetime.Tommy was born here in Chennai and although he had a difficult childhood, he didn’t let it deter him from becoming a musician. He first started playing ukulele when he was seven years old and later graduated to a mandolin, which was a secondhand instrument he miraculously restored with some butcher’s paper and some electrical wire.After winning a talent contest with the instrument, he began playing seriously, picking up his first professional gigs when he was 16.He worked his way into a band that performed regularly at an Anglo-India club here in the city, and after a few years, he started his own band, the Caravelles, all the while maintaining a full-time job.His band met immediate success because of his ability to learn popular tunes quickly due to his unnatural affinity for picking out tunes by ear and orchestrating them. His band worked its way to the top of the Chennai circuit and surrounding area. He moved to Sydney, Australia in the mid ’70s and took a job in finance and continued to perform prolifically.Australia offered him the opportunity to jam with other great musicians like George Benson, and he even took a trip to New York where he met and played with the legendary Les Paul in the Fat Tuesday’s club.Although Tommy is a superb musician, he also has a reputation for being incredibly courteous and friendly.He stressed the importance of being a good person and appreciating your fellow musicians and fans.“Sit there and do your stuff. If someone comes to you, be courteous,” he said.“Be nice to them, talk decent to them” He also doesn’t drink and tries to set an example for other musicians. “It sets an example for other musicians.The other guys see me doing this and they say ‘Ah, Tom’s doing it, we want to do that’. The only way to do that is to set an example; it’s good for you.” He is still in contact with many of his former band mates, and regularly speaks them despite the fact that it has been nearly 40 years.He recently retired from his finance career and is currently a high-demand guitar player in the Melbourne area.He has also worked his way toward international stardom, as his recordings have gained wide acclaim and he is selling CDs across India, Britain, the United States and Canada. “It made it better for me,” said Tommy regarding his retirement.“It made me feel as if I was wanted; it was good. It made me feel like I had no restrictions from work. I was free as a bird.” Tommy will be featured in the upcoming concert here in Chennai called ‘Blazing Guitars 2’ that is being hosted by the Anglo-Indian publication, Anglos in the Wild. “It’s good because a lot of the people I know, in the audience, he said with regards to the upcoming concert. “It’s good for me, soul-wise, that I now that so many people listening to me know about me.” Tommy currently has no plans for the future, but is going to continue to play and tour and teach his sons to be musicians as well.The concert is on July 9, Saturday, at 6.30pm at the Music Academy on TTK Road.
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