David W. “Smiley” Wallace Jr., a lifelong champion of ragtime and early jazz in the Kansas City region, died on October 2, 2025. He was 93.
Born February 10, 1932, in Joplin, Missouri, Smiley and his wife Helen were introduced to ragtime through “Ragtime Bob” Darch and soon became key figures in the revival that grew out of Darch’s circle. After moving to the Kansas City suburbs in 1965, where he worked for decades as a school teacher, the Wallaces worked tirelessly to connect musicians, historians, and fans across Missouri and Kansas. They were early supporters of the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival in Sedalia, attending nearly every year since its inception in 1974.
In 1993 the couple co-founded Old Ragtime Revelry, an organization that evolved into Kansas City Ragtime and Beyond, which today presents concerts and educational programs highlighting America’s early popular music. Smiley served on its board and remained active into his nineties, mentoring younger enthusiasts and helping sustain Kansas City’s ragtime tradition.
Mutually passionate about preservation, Smiley and Helen helped locate and mark the resting places of early Missouri ragtime composers Arthur Marshall, James Scott, and Blind Boone. He also championed contemporary performers, promoting concerts by artists such as Steve Spracklin and supporting the planned Ragtime Bob Darch Centennial Concert in 2020. He was predeceased by Helen in 2008.
Joe Bebco is the Associate Editor of The Syncopated Times and Webmaster of SyncopatedTimes.com
