Smith started his career in the early 1970s as lead vocalist, songwriter and keyboardist for his Las Vegas-based band, Taxi.
From 1978 to 1980, he did a stint in Hawaii with the show band “The Society of Seven,” playing the keyboards and trumpet and doing vocals.
In 1980, he moved back to Las Vegas to join the Jay Ramsey Band and perform at major hotels in Nevada. He also owned a recording studio and did session work both in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
From 1985 to 1990 Smith was the musical director/keyboardist and vocalist for Lee Greenwood. They performed at U.S. military bases around the world with the USO and the Department of Defense.
In 1990, Smith moved to Los Angeles to fulfill a career goal as a producer and songwriter. He got a major cut with the band Chicago.
While he was in Los Angeles, Smith worked with producer David Foster and producer/mix engineer Humberto Gatica as a programmer and studio musician. He was also still producing artists on his own in Los Angeles, Nashville, the Latin market and Taiwan, where he had his own piano solo record and produced various artists in the Pacific Rim market.
Smith also did custom music for the “Rick Dee’s in the Morning Show.” Dees was a morning personality on the radio station KIIS in Los Angeles.
In 2000, Smith moved to Nashville. He owned a commercial recording studio, and pursued song writing and developing and producing for artists such as Dolly Parton, 4 Runner and others.
He's co-written with Carole King, Jayson Scheff, Chicago, Kuk Harrell, Michael Peterson, Robert Ellis Oral, Linda Thompson, David Foster, Amy Foster, Fee Waybil and others.
He's worked in the studio with Whitney Houston, Barbara Streisand, Dolly Parton, Carole King, Lionel Richie, David Foster, Johnny Mathis, Paul Anka, Rickey Martin, Bebe and Cece Winans, Corey Heart, James Ingram, Lee Greenwood, Suzie Carr, Kenny Rogers, Gerald Lavertt, the Grasscals and Michael Peterson.
Smith moved to Cocoa Beach to reconnect with his pop and pop Latin background roots. He was recording and producing pop, Latin and country artistry in Florida while still working in Nashville and L.A. In 2015, Smith was operating Magic Lamp Productions in Cocoa Beach.