Dr. Lonnie Smith

About

Dr. Lonnie Smith is a jazz organist from Lackawanna, New York, who is known for his work on the Hammond B3. After getting his introduction into music through gospel, classical and jazz, he sang in various vocal ensembles throughout the 1950s before he was gifted his first Hammond B3 by a local music store owner. With soulful vocals and a knack for R&B grooves, he relocated to New York City and met jazz legend George Benson, with whom he formed the George Benson Quartet in 1966. As he released albums with the iconic quartet, he dropped his debut solo album, Finger Lickin' Good, in 1967 and went on to build an extensive discography, both on his own and with Benson.