Chas Smith

Yesterday I got some sad news that an old friend of mine, Chas Smith, passed away, just a few weeks past his 50th birthday. Chas and I played together for a few years in Cobra Verde. He was and is a legend, a true original. I can’t really do him justice here, but Chas’ buddy Ivan Stang tells part of the story here. A nice tribute page has been put up here. The photo above is of Chas with a guy who called himself Captain Fireball whom we met on the street in Memphis when Cobra Verde toured with J. Mascis and the Fog a few years back. That day, Chas almost met his match in the true original department. It’s one of my fondest memories of my time traveling the country with him and the rest of the Cobra Verde guys. Anyway, we could all use a little Chas in us (and if that sounds a little dirty, it’s just because I know Chas would get a little chuckle out of it).

Dave Hill