Ethel Smith

Born: 1902-11-22

Ethel Smith (November 22, 1902 – May 10, 1996) was an American organist who played primarily in a pop style on the Hammond organ. Born Ethel Goldsmith, she performed from a fairly young age and traveled widely, after studying both music and several languages at Carnegie Tech. She became proficient in Latin music while staying in South America, and it is the style of music with which she is now most associated. She was a guitarist as well as an organist, and in her later years occasionally played the guitar live for audiences, but all her recordings were on the organ. She ultimately recorded dozens of albums, mostly for Decca Records. Smith performed in several Hollywood films such as George White's Scandals (1945) and Melody Time (1948). She was married to Hollywood actor Ralph Bellamy from 1945 to 1947, at the height of her fame, and their acrimonious divorce made headlines. She never had children. Her rendition of 'Tico Tico' became her best-known hit. She performed it in the MGM film Bathing Beauty (1944), after which her recording reached the U.S. pop charts in November 1944, peaked at #14 on January 27, 1945, and sold nearly two million copies worldwide. "Down Yonder" was her second national hit, reaching #16 on October 27, 1951. Smith's recording of 'Monkey on a String' became the theme song for Garfield Goose and Friends, a popular children's television show in Chicago that ran from 1952 until 1976. From Wikipedia (en), the free encyclopedia


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Melody Time

as Ethel Smith
Released: 1948-05-27

In the grand tradition of Disney's great musical classics, Melody Time features seven timeless...

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Bathing Beauty

as Ethel Smith - Music Teacher
Released: 1944-06-27

After breaking up with her fiancé, a gym teacher returns to work at a women's college, but a...

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Twice Blessed

as Ethel Smith - Organist
Released: 1945-05-31

Stephanie and Terry are identical twins who have been raised separately since their parents...

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Easy to Wed

as Ethel Smith
Released: 1946-07-25

When a newspaper accuses a wealthy socialite of being a homewrecker, she files a...

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Music Land

as Organ Player (archive footage)
Released: 1955-06-11

Walt Disney animation animated cartoon musical compilation ("The BIG Parade of MIRTH and...

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Cuban Pete

as Ethel Smith
Released: 1946-06-26

Unable to complete the deal by telephone, advertising executive Roberts sends his assistant Ann...

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George White's Scandals

as Swing Organist
Released: 1945-10-09

Two couples work through their issues in this backstage Broadway musical.

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