“This is the second night of fun that we’re giving to the community,” Kyle Elrod, Evening Shade co-chair, said. “We had a great time with Henry Gross last week with a taste of rock-and-roll, and Terry Smith will bring something to the stage for those who like old-time country and gospel music. The concerts are free, so that makes it easy for people to enjoy a different kind of music every week.”

Terry Smith, voted by the Traditional Music Association as its Songwriter of the Year in both 1995 and 1996, wrote “Far-Side Banks of Jordan,” which is featured twice in Robert Duvall’s movie, The Apostle, and is included on the film’s soundtrack CD. The Cox Family and Alison Krauss also recorded the song on their l995 Grammy-winning project, I Know Who Holds Tomorrow. Johnny and June Cash cut the first version of this song in the ’70s, and June also recorded it with Mother Maybelle and her sisters as part of a Carter Family album, the version used on The Apostle soundtrack CD, which won a Grammy in l999.

“Far-Side Banks of Jordan” has been recorded over 150 times, including renditions by Grand Ole Opry artist Ernie Ashworth and by the Statler Brothers on their album Amen and versions released in Australia, Canada, England and Ireland.

Smith also wrote one of Roy Acuff’s last singles, “I Can’t Find a Train,” and the Oak Ridge Boys recorded his rousing gospel number, “Lord, I’ve Been Ready for Years.” Kitty Wells cut “It Doesn’t Say,” and his “Ten Seconds in the Saddle” is in the Billboard chart book. Dozens of other Terry Smith songs are recorded by acts as diverse as the Statler Brothers; Kris Kristofferson; Patty Loveless; bluegrass premier gospel group, the Lewis Family; Lonnie Lynne LaCour; Bluegrass Brigade; the Singing Echoes; and Smoky Dawson, Australia’s equivalent to Roy Rogers.

A traditional country singer in his own right, Smith has released nine albums of original material to date. His newest project, Kickin’ Kountry, recorded in the summer of 2006, is a straight-ahead, country project emphasizing the Texas dancehall music that Smith grew up listening to as a child.

Other albums include Christmas in the Air, a collection of original Christmas songs; Matters of the Heart, songs about romantic love and love of family, home, and country; Far-Side Banks of Jordan and Other Inspirational Songs; and Spokes in the Wheel, which includes ballads, novelty, honky-tonk and story songs and inspirational and gospel songs.

“Just as a spoke is only one part of a wheel, each of my musical and personal influences contribute to who I am as a person,” Smith says, “and the various types of songs I write make up the sum of who I am as a writer and performer.”

As a singer, Terry has steadily built a following over the years in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. When more traditional country radio stations in the United States began to air his Quilt of Memories and later Texas Roots, that following began to spread to areas in the States.

Smith’s file cabinet holds almost 2,000 songs written for a wide range of audiences. He says without exaggeration, “I’ve pitched songs to everyone from the country artists of the day to the Texas Rangers baseball team and Captain Kangaroo.”

Mix 104.1-WCLE will broadcast live from Johnston Park Friday night from 6 to 7 p.m.

Evening Shade is a program of the Allied Arts Council of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce. This annual concert series is funded in part by local sponsors and under an agreement with the Tennessee Arts Commission. Local sponsor for the concert is Pioneer Credit Co.

Each of the five Friday-night concerts will begin at 6:30 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, the concerts will move to Arnold Memorial Elementary School.