Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music
SMITH, Lonnie, Dr.
(
b 3 July 1942, Lackawanna NY;
d 28 September 2021) Organist, a master of the Hammond B-3, who played with Lou Donaldson '60s, recorded for Blue Note '68, Columbia '66-7, Blue Note '69-70 (
Move Your Hand made the Billboard pop album chart), Kudu, Groove Merchant and Chiaroscuro '70s; his
Foxy Lady and
Purple Haze '95 on Venus were loose jams in tribute to Jimi Hendrix, the last reappearing on MusicMaster. He said he began calling himself Dr. Lonnie Smith and wearing a turban because he was often confused with composer and multi-instrumentalist Lonnie Liston Smith, who is two years older. With his turban and a beard the Doctor looked like a Hindu holy man; he was said to be one of the nicest guys in the business. In 2012 he started his own recording company, Pilgrimage Productions. He went back to Blue Note; his last albums were
All In My Mind 2018, and
Breathe 2021 with guest Iggy Pop, the latter produced by Don Was.