The celebrated country music guitarist Arthur Smith, who influenced
the Beatles and befriended Billy Graham, died this month. He was
93. He left behind three children, a wife of 72 years, and a long
legacy in jazz, blues, and country music. Born in 1921 to a poor
textile worker in South Carolina, Smith grew up working in the
mills. His profound musical talent—Smith was a master at the
mandolin, banjo, guitar, and trumpet— opened a way out of that
world. By his later teens, he was
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