Russell Smith – Tennessee Music Pathways

Russell Smith – Tennessee Music Pathways

Located on the historic Lafayette square, a Tennessee Music Pathways marker honors the legendary career of Howard Russell Smith—a songwriter whose vintage spirit helped shape the sound of American roots music. Raised right here in Lafayette on Church Street, Russell spent his youth as a local disc jockey at WEEN before rising to global fame as the lead singer and songwriter of the Grammy-winning band, The Amazing Rhythm Aces. Known for his smoky baritone and timeless hits like Third Rate Romance and The End Is Not In Sight, Russell never lost touch with his hometown rhythm, even as he penned #1 country classics for Randy Travis and Don Williams. Today, his marker stands near the heart of the town that inspired his craft, inviting visitors to pause and celebrate a local boy who turned small-town stories into the “Soundtrack of America.”