Interview with Ed Smith, January 23, 1999

Interview Summary

In this interview, Susan Schmidt Horning discusses the career and personal life of audio engineer Ed Smith. Tracing his career back to the early days of King Records in Cincinnati, Ohio, Smith discusses the equipment he used to record legendary musicians such as Nina Simone, Mel Torme, and Duke Ellington.
Smith then discusses leaving King Records for Bell Sound Studios in New York. He recounts the technology he utilized at Bell Sound Studios and the musical artists with whom he worked. He also recounts his personal life and discusses his family.

Smith then talks about his time at Mayfair Recording and the advent of tape recorders, which he feels changed the music business.
Finally, Smith discusses the hearing loss caused by years of audio engineering and talks about his retirement. Schmidt Horning and Smith end the interview by looking through Smith's copious scrapbooks and recounting the artists with whom he worked.

Interview Keyword

Smith, Eddie King Records Bell Sound Studios Cincinnati (Ohio) Audio devices Recording studios Mayfair Recording

Interview LC Subject

Sound--Recording and reproducing Sound--Recording and reproducing--History Sound recording industry Sound recording industry--History Sound recordings Cincinnati (Ohio) Bell (Sound recording label) Audio equipment industry Record labels

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.