Real name: James Oscar Smith, Jr.

Effective period / Period of releases: 1956 - 2020

American jazz keyboardist, born 8 December 1928 in Norristown, Philadelphia, USA, died 8 February 2005 in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA (aged 76). He was married to Lola Smith.

Best known as a jazz musician who performed on the Hammond B-3 electric organ, which helped to popularize the instrument greatly.

In 2005, Smith was awarded the NEA Jazz Masters Award from the National Endowment for the Arts, the highest honour that a US jazz musician can attain.