By Katheen Coleman

Tweed Smith has been a part of the Houston community singing for over 40 years. Gospel music was her introduction to music at an early age choir at Good Samaritan Baptist in Fifth Ward and prevalent today as choir director at St Phillip Missionary Baptist Church. Tweed Smith is a proud graduate of Texas Southern University under Former Dean Howard Harris therefore exposed to all genres of music classical, rhythm and blues, jazz, blues, and a touch of rock and roll.

Those of us who have the pleasure of experiencing the infectious energy of this dynamic singer attest to her flexibility throughout the music world. During the 1970s and 1980s was the only female member of the group “War.” Tweed Smith has featured on hits such as “The World is a Ghetto,” Cisco Kid,” “Why Can’t We Be Friends,” and “Low Rider.” In addition to touring with the “War,” Tweed appeared on the cover of Billboard, Cashbox, People, Blues & Soul, and Black Radio Experience. Also, Tweed Smith was a member of the national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar.

Subsequently, Tweed Smith recorded with several artists such as Sarah Vaughn, Sly Stone, Bobby Womack, Ringo Starr, and Ron Wood. Recently, I had the pleasure of Tweed Smith joining a Zoom conference “with Houston Museum of African American Culture” in conjunction with the show “Remembering Tolliver, A Beautiful Portrait of Southern Life. During the British rock invasion, she spoke of music groups looking for the Black Music sound as music by African American performers in the 1960s and 1970s. The premise of the talk was the Mississippi Delta Blues which Tweed Smith spoke about the connection of visual and arts and music from the Delta.

Tweed Smith is presently working and recently performed and hosted for the Houston Blues Society and represented Houston at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, in 2019. Shows were canceled because of the Pandemic. Tweed Smith is presently vocal director at Community Music Center and performing at venues and private events.