Gospel music pioneer and performer

credit:Gerbren Deves
Smith sang with the Roberta Martin Singers from the group’s inception until it disbanded after Martin’s death in 1969. As Smith termed his relationship with Martin in a 1981 interview for the Smithsonian, he and Martin “went together like bacon and eggs.” Smith was known for his distinct baritone/tenor register, his unique delivery of songs which influenced the styles of other gospel singers such as Professor Alex Bradford and Rev. James Cleveland, and his trademark narration and sermonettes which would often stir worshippers in a frenzied ecstasy. a celebrity among churchgoers on the South Side of Chicago and a national influence on generations of gospel singers, died in Chicago, where he lived his entire life. He was 88.
Divorced, he is survived by a son, Eugene Smith Jr., and a sister, Scottise Saunders.