Reno & Smiley

Also known as Don Reno, Red Smiley and the Tennessee Cutups
Band · Active 1954–1965 · Richmond, Virginia → Roanoke, Virginia
Traditional Bluegrass

Don Reno, Red Smiley and the Tennessee Cut-Ups were one of the most acclaimed duo acts of the first generation of bluegrass — a long partnership between two virtuoso multi-instrumentalists whose beautifully blended duets, innovative banjo and guitar playing, and vast original songbook produced dozens of bluegrass standards still played today.

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  • Don Reno (February 21, 1926 – October 16, 1984) on banjo, guitar, and tenor vocals, born in Spartanburg, South Carolina; Red Smiley (February 21, 1925 – January 2, 1972) on guitar and lead vocals, born in Marshall, North Carolina.
  • Reno had been offered a spot in Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys in 1943 but enlisted in the Army instead; he joined Monroe in 1948 after Earl Scruggs left, serving as Scruggs's successor on banjo until 1949.
  • Reno and Smiley met in 1949 in Tommy Magness and the Tennessee Buddies on WDBJ radio in Roanoke; they found their voices blended beautifully and began harmonizing as a duet.
  • First recorded as Reno & Smiley and the Tennessee Cut-Ups in January 1952 for King Records in Cincinnati, cutting 16 tracks including "I'm Using My Bible for a Roadmap" — Reno wrote all sixteen songs.
  • The first incarnation of the band broke up in 1952; the two continued to record together before reuniting as a full-time touring band in 1955 with Mack Magaha on fiddle, John Palmer on bass, and Carlton Haney as manager.
  • Became stars of the Old Dominion Barn Dance on WRVA Richmond and, starting December 31, 1956, hosted the first early-morning country music television show, Top o' the Morning, airing weekdays in Roanoke.
  • Reno was one of the most innovative banjo players of his generation — the first to develop a recognizably different voice from Scruggs, incorporating single-string passages, jazzy chord runs, and guitar-influenced phrasing.
  • Also the first prominent flatpicking lead guitarist in bluegrass; his "Country Boy Rock and Roll" is considered the first bluegrass song to feature lead guitar as the main instrument.
  • Smiley's rich baritone and strong rhythm guitar (on a prewar Martin D-45) anchored the duo; the "Red Smiley D run" remains a widely imitated bluegrass guitar lick.
  • Reno wrote approximately 500 songs and instrumentals across his career, making him the most prolific composer in bluegrass history; standards include "I'm Using My Bible for a Roadmap," "I Know You're Married," "I'm Gone, Long Gone," and "Drifting with the Tide."
  • Don's son Ronnie Reno joined the band on mandolin in 1956 at age eight.
  • Split in November 1964 due to Smiley's declining health; Reno kept the Tennessee Cut-Ups name and later partnered with Bill Harrell (1966–1977). Smiley came out of semi-retirement and toured with Reno and Harrell from 1969 until his death in 1972.
  • Inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor: Reno and Smiley together in 1992; Reno separately into the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame in 2020.

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