Gary Smith

Robert Gary Smith (born March 9, 1950) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a member of Chase and a founding member of Survivor. Smith has also performed or recorded with B.B. King, Joe Williams, Vic Damone, Patrick Leonard, Leslie West (Mountain), Steve Forman, Will Lee, Elliott Randall, Bobby Kimball, Tommy Shaw, Darryl Jones, Jim Peterik, John Gary, Bruce Gaitsch, Eric Miyashiro, Clark Terry, Chuck Findley, Larry Carlton, Jaco Pastorius and many others.

Career Smith was born in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. He began backing up local musicians in his teens and had stints with Steve Forman's Eclectic Mouse and Joe Williams before the age of 21.

Smith joined the Chicago-based jazz-rock fusion band Chase in the fall of 1971 and recorded the album Ennea.

Smith returned to Chicago in 1976 to do studio work. He formed Shy Rhythm with Johnson, keyboardist Terry Fryer and guitarist Bruce Gaitsch. The group backed singer Jim Peterik on his first solo album, Don't Fight The Feeling, on Epic Records, and formed the Jim Peterik Band.

Gaitsch and Fryer departed in 1978, both going on to become in-demand session musicians. The remaining members added singer Dave Bickler and guitarist Frankie Sullivan and became Survivor. The band was signed by Atlantic Records A&R executive John Kalodner, and its self-titled debut album was released in 1979 on the Atlantic subsidiary Scotti Brothers. Smith co-wrote “Rockin’ into The Night” and “Rebel Girl,” but neither song was included on the group's first album. “Rockin' into the Night" became .38 Special's first hit single. It has appeared on multiple .38 Special albums, including the platinum-selling Flashback. The Survivor non-album single "Rebel Girl" was covered by the Outlaws. Survivor's versions of both of these songs appeared on their 2004 greatest hits album, Ultimate Survivor.

Smith and Johnson were replaced in Survivor in 1981, in part because of conflicts with their other projects. Survivor went on released its first Top 40 single, "Poor Man's Son," the same year. The band made its breakthrough in 1982 when "Eye of the Tiger" hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts for six weeks and won a Grammy Award.

Selected discography Chase Ennea (1972) Watch Closely Now (1977) Chase Concert Series Vol. 2 & 3 (2001) Chase/Ennea/Pure Music (2008) Chase Live 2010 (2010) (*14)

Jim Peterik Don't Fight the Feeling (1976) Rock America (2003) (as co-songwriter)

Geoffrey Stoner Ain't Nothin' Freaky (1976)

John Gary Got To Share This Feeling (1977)

Essence

(Singles/Epic) (1978)

Lost Soul (1994) Cleveland Rocks (1995)

James Ward Mourning To Dancing (1978)

Survivor Survivor (1979) Greatest Hits (2003) Ultimate Survivor (2004) Survivor Prime Cuts Classic Tracks (1998) Survivor (Rock Candy re-issue with "Rebel Girl") (2010)

Software Marbles (1981)

Vic Damone I Just Called To Say I Love You (1985) Greatest Love Songs (2008)

Bill Ruppert Guitar on the Edge (1991)

.38 Special (as co-songwriter) Rockin' into the Night (1980) Flashback: The Best of .38 Special (1987) Live at Sturgis (1999) 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of 38 Special (2000) Extended Versions (2000) Anthology (2001) The Very Best of the A&M Years (2003) Live with Van Zandt (2005) Best Shots (2006) Authorized Bootleg (2010) Icon (2011)

The Outlaws (as co-songwriter) Los Hombres Malos (1982) The Heritage Collection (2000)