Richard Jon Smith
Richard Jon Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | Richard Jon Smith September 6, 1951 Cape Town, South Africa |
| Genres | pop music |
| Occupations | singer, producer |
| Instrument | vocals |
Spouse | Glenda |
Richard Jon Smith (born 6 September 1951) is a South African pop singer who transcended the racial segregation of apartheid and became known nationally and internationally[1] with the success of his 1973 hit "That's Why I Love You".[2] He released his first single, "Candlelight", in 1972, followed by winning double gold record awards for "That's Why I Love You", "Michael Row the Boat Ashore", "Happy and Gay", "Sweet Mama", "Dayo-Island" and others.[2]
Before becoming a superstar in South Africa at the age of 23, Smith was a porter at Cape Town's Grote Shuur Hospital.[3] He was known as "Mr. Knockout" by his fans, in reference to his chart-busters songs.[4] Smith was a local megastar in 1972 when he was described in the Sunday Times as an "ad man's dream", at the time he was the centrepiece of a brandy promotion.[5]
Smith, along with his wife Glenda, moved to the United Kingdom in 1981,[2] where he began working as a songwriter-producer-recording artist in England with Jive Records,[6] having produced the album Whodini, among others. In 1983 Smith had a minor hit on Jive Records called "Stay with me tonight".[7] He returned to South Africa only in 2012, to perform as a guest artist at the three-day Zane Adam Tribute Concert, at GrandWest Arena, where he was received with great enthusiasm by the public.[2]
Discography
- Superstar Smith[8]
References
- ^ Sewlall, Harry (2017). "Cape Town, its Musical Spatiality and Apartheid: The Case of Zayn Adam, Richard Jon Smith and Jonathan Butler". Journal of Literary Studies. 33 (2): 1–17. doi:10.1080/02564718.2017.1334859. Retrieved December 9, 2025 – via ResearchGate.
- ^ a b c d Landsberg, Ian (September 7, 2021). "Unforgettable Richard Jon Smith". The Star Late Edition. Retrieved December 8, 2025 – via PressReader.
- ^ "Whites Missing Out". The Leader-Post. August 8, 1975. p. 56. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ^ Mathe, Sam (August 3, 1964). "Birth of a reggae superstar". South African History Online. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ^ Nugent, Paul (March 28, 2024). Race, Taste and the Grape: South African Wine from a Global Perspective. Cambridge University Press. p. 218. ISBN 978-1-009-20405-7.
- ^ History of Contemporary Music of South Africa. South Africa: Toga Pub. 1994. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-620-18121-1.
- ^ "Willesden Dodgers discography, Nigel Green, Pete Q. Harris, Richard Jon Smith". Hip Hop Be Bop. May 5, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ^ Capitano, Ethan (June 19, 2024). "Touchdowns and turntables: Collecting vinyl in South Africa | Column". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved December 9, 2025.