Tribute to George Smith

I spent a lot of time with George Smith and I want to share my memories of him.

Our family moved here in 1999 and started attending Jubilee by the Sea in 2001. George Smith ran that festival from the early 2000s until 2014. He was also the “Band Getter” for the Basin Street Regulars during that time and served for a few years as President. During his tenure, he presided over most of the doings of the club along with his devoted wife, Richelle Smith.

As I became more and more involved, I got to know George and Richelle pretty well. We socialized with them on a regular basis. George had been in the Army and had been stationed on Okinawa in the later ’60s at the same time that my family was there. My father was in the Air Force. George played trumpet with the 29th Army band at Fort Buchner and also piano at the Air Force Officer’s Club in the evenings. It is entirely possible that my parents crossed paths with George at the Officer’s Club, which they frequented. Many years later, when my father came up for my party, George sat with him and they talked about their time on Okinawa.

George spent his professional life managing his family’s trucking company, Smith Transportation, founded in 1929. He was elected President of the California Trucking Association in 1984, an accomplishment that gave him great pride. Upon his retirement, he slowly divested himself of the business. He and I had several conversations about remediation for leaking underground storage tanks, a subject with which I was familiar. He also owned many properties in Santa Maria, which he sold incrementally.

George and Richelle loved to travel and went to exclusive resorts and on luxurious cruises, including jazz cruises. They went to many festivals. Sacramento (the old Sacramento) was their favorite. They always stayed on the Delta Queen.

They were both consummate musicians. George played trumpet and piano, Richelle played piano and sang. At the jam session, George would play one set of trumpet and one on piano. Sometimes, he and Richelle would play a song together, four hands, including a memorable rendition of Stars and Stripes Forever. Once, George sang “Old Man River,” accompanying himself on piano.

George presided over Jubilee by the Sea while it was still in its heyday. The budget was big and attendance was huge. Tickets would sell out in advance (2000!); single day tickets were not needed to fill the seats. All the musicians got to stay at the Edgewater, and there was still money left over to fund BSR for the rest of the year. I’d go to the Jubilee meetings that George chaired, and he’d start the meeting by asking, “Who’s gone to a festival this month?” Back in those days, there was a festival every month. “How was it?” he would ask, “What was good, what was bad?”

Those were the salad days. But then the audience and budget started to shrink. It was a difficult adjustment for George to digest. One year we lost $7000 on a festival. George was devastated. “I’m not going to preside over a festival that loses money.” The next year was a little better, but never as good as the good old days. George helped the bottom line every year after that with a very generous donation.

Once, I made the mistake of telling him that I thought it might be fun to put on a festival. He kept this in his mind until I retired, where he promptly handed it over to me. “I’ve been doing this for 14 years now,” he told me, “Now it’s your turn.” He helped me for the first year and then handed me the reins.

But he still came to all of the meetings and stayed in other positions. He was President of BSR for a few years, and he continued to be the “Band Getter” for a long time. He finally gave that duty up.

He continued to attend the jam sessions and participate in all club events. He would always say to me, “Thank you for all you do.”

When his wife, Richelle passed in 2019, it was a sad day for all of us. It hit George especially hard and he never fully recovered from it. He continued to come to all club functions but with a little less enthusiasm. He kept playing at the jam sessions until he just couldn’t make it anymore.

George was a great mentor and a true friend. He was a dedicated benefactor of BSR, donating his money and his time. Those who worked with him will not forget him. We owe him a debt of gratitude for all that he did, both personally and professionally. Rest in peace, my friend.