A native of High Point, North Carolina, Rusty Smith holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Education from Appalachian State University and a Master of Music in trumpet performance from the North Carolina School of the Arts. He was the trumpet player for the Louise Mandrell Theater in Pigeon Forge, TN from 1997-2005. As a member of the Ray Alexander Orchestra he was a regular performer in many Las Vegas showrooms with the Four Tops. In addition he has performed with such groups as the Temptations, the Spinners, Olivia Newton-John, Aretha Franklin, Franki Valli and the Four Seasons, the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Woody Herman Band, the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and many others. Rusty has toured both in the US and abroad with the Ray Charles tribute I Can’t Stop Loving You, the world premier tour of Ziegfeld: a Night At The Follies, the Motown Christmas Spectacular, and the Motown Legends Tour. As the featured soloist with the Spirit of America National Honor Band, he has worked with hundreds of high school and college aged kids from across the United States, touring Europe and winning first place in the festival division of the World Music Contest in Kekrade, Holland. Rusty taught applied trumpet at Mars Hill College and has also served as the trumpet instructor at Sevier County High School in Sevierville, TN. |
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