The world of country and western music suffered the loss of one its original stars last week. Carl Smith, the ruggedly handsome and tall country music hit maker of the 1950s died at his home in Franklin, Tennessee. He was 82 years old. Carl Smith had the ability to croon and he mixed those vocals with upbeat musical arrangements that brought the honk-tonk sound of Ernest Tubb and Hank Williams to a more current audience by employing the elements of rockabilly and what would come to be called rock 'n' roll.

Mr. Smith, the Country Gentleman, was a very tall and handsome man who liked to wear very finely tailored western suits that gave him the aura of a bona fide "star." The people who attended shows by Carl Smith and others like him showed up to see the stars of the country and western circuit – not someone dressed like themselves, in just jeans and boots. This was also the infancy of television and the country and western stars, who were very popular on TV shows, needed to look extra special for the camera. Brenda Colladay, curator of the Grand Ole Opry Museum in Nashville, was quoted as saying, “He was tall and handsome, with thick, wavy dark hair, a huge smile and eyes so blue you could tell how blue they were, even in black and white.”

In 1952 Carl Smith married June Carter, a fellow Grand Ole Opry member. The couple gave birth to the singer Carlene Carter and divorced in 1956. Mr. Smith was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1990 and he had at least one single on the charts every year from 1951 to 1973. He eventually retired from the music business to become a champion horse breeder in 1978, “Call me lucky,” Mr. Smith said. “Ever since I can remember I wanted to be a hillbilly singer and a cowboy. I was fortunate enough to do both of them.”