Boyd Smith
“In many ways, my grandfather, Boyd Smith, was a Renaissance man. He was knowledgeable about many subjects and always shared the love of music with everyone.
“Boyd Smith was born on March 2, 1893 in Morristown, Tennessee to Pleasant and Molly Smith. He died in Nashville, Tennessee on December 9, 1982 at the age of 89 years. His wife, Miranda Lynch Smith, died in Richmond, Kentucky in 1993 at the age of 95 years.
Boyd Smith was employed by the L&N railroad, which he served faithfully for many years, but he poured his heart into educating and supporting and growing young musicians of Estill County. He has several opportunities for advancement in his position with the L&N Railroad, but he always chose to stay in Estill County because of his music ties.
Boyd was the Chief Clerk to the Superintendent of the Eastern Kentucky Division of the L&N Railroad in Ravenna. He had a dance orchestra and played at the Old Estill Springs Hotel. He organized and directed the L&N Band which was comprised of musicians form all over the Division. They wore military type uniforms and played all over the Eastern Kentucky Division of the L&N Railroad. Mr. Smith wrote all the arrangements for the Band and Orchestra. He was also instrumental in creating the Golf Course and Club in Irvine.
Boyd spent his lunch hour every day teaching band instruments to students at the old Estill High School. They played at all the basketball games. He wrote his own musical arrangements for the band instruments. These manuscripts, which were priceless, were later destroyed in a fire at the school. The kids of Mr. Smith’s band had the rare pleasure of playing current pop music and not just the routine ‘marching band’ music. He would also arrange and teach the visiting teams’ school songs, which would be played at the beginning of the games.
My grandfather was also an accomplished pianist and violinist. One of my fondest memories of him is his walking through the house playing the violin. My favorite memories of my grandfather always involved music. As a small child, I remember lying in bed listening to him arrange music as he would go from the dining room table, where all the music manuscript paper lay, to the piano where he would chord the trumpet, clarinet, and all the instrument parts for the music he was arranging.
Later when I was beginning grade school, he taught my twin sister and me how to read music and play the piano. In Junior High, he taught us the clarinet and always encouraged our musical bent. My sister was majored in music in college and I have sung in choruses as well as solo all of my adult life. My mother, Mary Lilyan Hinkle, certainly inherited her father’s love of music. She started a music appreciation club for the young people in Madison County that lasted 15 years.
“To give a child the gift of music is to give him a gift that will last a lifetime. My grandfather has done that for many and for that I, along with others, will be eternally grateful.”
(This account was written by Boyd Smith’s granddaughter, Marsh Sherman.)
“Boyd Smith was born on March 2, 1893 in Morristown, Tennessee to Pleasant and Molly Smith. He died in Nashville, Tennessee on December 9, 1982 at the age of 89 years. His wife, Miranda Lynch Smith, died in Richmond, Kentucky in 1993 at the age of 95 years.
Boyd Smith was employed by the L&N railroad, which he served faithfully for many years, but he poured his heart into educating and supporting and growing young musicians of Estill County. He has several opportunities for advancement in his position with the L&N Railroad, but he always chose to stay in Estill County because of his music ties.
Boyd was the Chief Clerk to the Superintendent of the Eastern Kentucky Division of the L&N Railroad in Ravenna. He had a dance orchestra and played at the Old Estill Springs Hotel. He organized and directed the L&N Band which was comprised of musicians form all over the Division. They wore military type uniforms and played all over the Eastern Kentucky Division of the L&N Railroad. Mr. Smith wrote all the arrangements for the Band and Orchestra. He was also instrumental in creating the Golf Course and Club in Irvine.
Boyd spent his lunch hour every day teaching band instruments to students at the old Estill High School. They played at all the basketball games. He wrote his own musical arrangements for the band instruments. These manuscripts, which were priceless, were later destroyed in a fire at the school. The kids of Mr. Smith’s band had the rare pleasure of playing current pop music and not just the routine ‘marching band’ music. He would also arrange and teach the visiting teams’ school songs, which would be played at the beginning of the games.
My grandfather was also an accomplished pianist and violinist. One of my fondest memories of him is his walking through the house playing the violin. My favorite memories of my grandfather always involved music. As a small child, I remember lying in bed listening to him arrange music as he would go from the dining room table, where all the music manuscript paper lay, to the piano where he would chord the trumpet, clarinet, and all the instrument parts for the music he was arranging.
Later when I was beginning grade school, he taught my twin sister and me how to read music and play the piano. In Junior High, he taught us the clarinet and always encouraged our musical bent. My sister was majored in music in college and I have sung in choruses as well as solo all of my adult life. My mother, Mary Lilyan Hinkle, certainly inherited her father’s love of music. She started a music appreciation club for the young people in Madison County that lasted 15 years.
“To give a child the gift of music is to give him a gift that will last a lifetime. My grandfather has done that for many and for that I, along with others, will be eternally grateful.”
(This account was written by Boyd Smith’s granddaughter, Marsh Sherman.)