Albert “Little Smokey” Smothers died on November 20, 2010 at the age of 71 at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Chicago, Illinois of natural causes.
Albert “Little Smokey” Smothers died on November 20, 2010 at the age of 71 at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Chicago, Illinois of natural causes. He began playing guitar at 15. Two years later, Smothers moved to Chicago and shortly after landed gigs with Arthur “Big Boy” Spires, Magic Sam, Otis Rush and pianist “Lazy” Bill Lucas. In 1958, he joined Howlin’ Wolf and can be heard on Wolf classics such as I’ve Been Abused, Howlin’ For My Darlin’ and Mr. Airplane Man. Three years later, he formed Little Smokey Smothers and the Pipeplayers and, in Smothers’ words, “played nearly everything on the jukebox,” at the South Side’s Blue Flame, the Playhouse and Pepper’s Lounge. His recent recordings include Bossman! and Second Time Around. Albert “Little Smokey” Smothers is buried at Homewood Memorial Gardens Cemetery located at 600 Ridge Rd, Homewood, IL 60430.