Doyle Smith (February 8, 1931 - August 17, 2015)

Biography

Doyle Smith, a native of Choctaw County, Mississippi, sang with several local groups in Mississippi prior to joining the Deep South Quartet in Columbus, Georgia in 1949. He later joined the McDonald Brothers-Stamps Quartet in Pocahontas, Arkansas for a few months. R.W. Blackwood recommended him to C. R. Melton of the All American Quartet, and Doyle sang tenor for them for several months from October, 1951 until early 1952 in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. He re-joined the All American Quartet in late 1953 in Decatur, Illinois. In 1954 he also became the quartet’s pianist. He remained with the All American Quartet until June, 1956 when the quartet disbanded for a period.

After leaving the All American Quartet, Doyle went into business in California until he retired. He maintained a part-time quartet called the The Sounds Of Joy for twelve years in California. They sang mainly on the West Coast, but they made several trips to OK, TX, AR, LA and MS.

Smith was music director in several of the Southern Baptist Churches in the San Francisco Bay Area. Following his retirement he relocated to Oklahoma.