 He spent his early career in territory bands, playing in groups such as Eddie Johnson's Crackerjacks, the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra, the Sunset Royal Orchestra, the Brown Skin Models, and Andy Kirk's 12 Clouds Of Joy.His composition "Floyd's Guitar Blues", recorded with Andy Kirk's orchestra in March 1939, has been claimed as the first hit record to feature a blues solo on electric guitar.Smith enlisted during World War II and was stationed in Britain as a sargeant.