Gospel preacher listed in Michael L. Wilson's book entitled, Arkansas Christians.

Clarence E. Smith
(1890 - 1976)
"Brother C.E. Smith of Birdell is among the best (song leaders) that ever helped me in a meeting," wrote J.D. Tant in 1922. {1} Thousands of people and hundreds of preachers agreed with Tant. Before Smith died, he had led song services in meetings for nearly 100 different preachers. He was indeed, a singing evangelist.

Smith was born July 17, 1890, in Sharp County. When he became a New Testament Christian is unknown at this time. In his teenage years he was. a great tenor singer. Clarence married Blanche Stinnett in 1911 and they had eleven children: Elwood, Buell, Don, Claxton, Warren, Clarence Iverson, Hazel, Vivian, John, Ray, Mason, and a baby boy who died in infancy.

The Smiths moved to Randolph County early in the second decade of the twentieth century. Clarence raised his family on a farm and led congregational singing for his local church when no other leader was present. People who saw and heard him were charmed by the unique way he presented a song. {2} In August of 1914 {3} he was called to Lynn, Arkansas, to lead the song services in a ten day meeting conducted by Oscar Billingsley. This was his first effort as an evangelistic song leader. During the next fifty years he led song services and taught singing schools in Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Michigan. The following is Smith's own listing of meeting preachers for whom he led singing and the number of times:

35 Meetings- John W. Hedge; 24 Meetings- Clarence Wilkerson; 7 Meetings- Frank W. Gould, A.H. Porterfield; 6 Meetings- John L. Fry, L. N. Moody, 5 Meetings- Lacy L. Holt, Joe H. Blue; 4 Meetings - J. D. Tant, Will. W. Slater, J. H. Harper, Rue Porter, D.C. Williams; 3 Meetings- Isham F. Blackwell, M.S. Mason, A. B. Shaver, Riley Henry, Boyd Morgan, G. W. Allison, Harlan Hurd, Lonnie Smith, Cecil Wilson; Two Meetings- C. E. Billingsley, A.M. Lemmons, J. H. Lawson, John T. Hinds, M. C. Higginbotham, C. R. Nichol, Joe A. Taylor, J. Will Henley, Bynum Black, Tilman Prince, Lee Mansfield, Albert S. Hall, R. E. Griffith, E. Lacy Porter, W. R. Yowell, W. R. Ragsdale, Ted Guyman, Harbert D. Hooker, S. Leonard Tyler, Paul Keller, Cleo Blue, Lowell Blassingame, Jack Gray, C. W. Brannum and Eugene Bench; One Meeting- Joe S. Warlick, Price Billingsley, N. B. Hardeman, Andy T. Ritchie, J. N. Armstrong, L. K. Harding, H. D. Jeffcoat, J. H. Curry, I. A. Douthit, T. H. Hudson, T. H. Sherrill, Sterl A. Watson, Clyde Hance, Lee Starnes, Eugene S. Smith, C. L. Embrey, L.O. Sanderson, James R. Greer, Loyce Pierce, E. R. Harper, R. C. Walker, H. Leo Boles, Foy L. Smith, Frank Van Dyke, Floyd A. Decker, G. C. Brewer, N.E. Honeycutt, D. D. Woody, E. W. Stovall, James D. Bales, L. R. Wilson, Joe Spaulding, Granville Tyler, Paul Lusby, Hayden Mahon, E. W. Burton, Arthur Blackwell, A. W. Johnson, C. F. Scott, Ray Chester, R. C. Oliver, Bennett W. Land, Eugene Britnell, J. E. Green, John Dillard, Emmett Smith, Franklin Camp and Neil Inness.

On September 21, 1973, Smith, one of two song leaders over the age of 80 was recognized and honored by Crowley's Ridge College for his long years of service to Churches of Christ. {1} Smith made his home in Maynard most of his life and lived to see several of his children and grandchildren enjoy considerable success in their secular and sacred music fields. He died July 19, 1976, and his body was buried in the Maynard Cemetery.

Footnotes:
1 J.D. Tant, "The Strawberry Meeting," Gospel Advocate (Sept. 22, 1922):888.
2 Jene C. Finley, Our Garden of Song (West Monroe, La.: Howard Pub. Co., 1980), pp. 438-439.
3 Finley thought the Lynn meeting was in 1916, but Smith's own log of his meetings work (in this writer's possession) indicates that his first meeting was in 1914.
4 Albert G. Lemmons, "Crowley's Ridge College," The Gospel Exhorter (October 1973):4.