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The partnership of Don Reno and Red Smiley was one of the most famous in bluegrass history.
In December of 1949, the two met for the first time at WDBJ in Roanoke when fiddler Tommy Magness recruited both musicians to perform with his band, the Tennessee Buddies.
As part of the Magness group, the two cut four sides for King in Cincinnati, releasing them on the Federal label in March of 1951.
Shortly thereafter, Reno and Smiley left Roanoke to work as a duet with Toby Stroud's Blue Mountain Boys. Soon, they formed their own band, the Tennessee Cut Ups.
In January of 1952 the group again recorded at King, completing 16 songs, including I'm Using My Bible As A Roadmap.
The record was successful, but the Cut Ups dissolved anyway.
In 1955, Reno again paired up with Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith, his former mentor.
Together they did Feuding Banjos, a tune later used without their permission in the movie Deliverance.
Reno and Smith sued the film company for rights infringement and won.
Feuding Banjos, also known from the movie as Dueling Banjos, is still one of the most recognizable bluegrass tunes today.
Reno and Smiley resumed touring together in 1955, continuing until 1964.
They were regulars on Old Dominion Barn Dance at WRVA and they had a popular morning TV show at WDBJ out of Roanoke.
Additionally, the two appeared for 7 years at WSVA in Harrisonburg, VA.
The duo kept recording at King for the next decade, except for a few numbers released on Dot in 1957.
Reno composed the majority of the Reno and Smiley repertoire, which consisted of instrumentals, sacred songs and heart songs.
I'm The Talk of the Town, Someone Will Love Me In Heaven, Barefoot Nellie, Tally Ho, Banjo Signal, and Choking The Strings are some of the most memorable Reno and Smiley numbers, all still favorites today.
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