S1 EP8: Viola Smith

Viola Smith is an American drummer best known for her work in orchestras, swing bands, and popular music from the 1920s until 1975. She was one of the first professional female drummers and started her career with her family band, The Smith Sisters Orchestra, followed by Phil Spitalny’s Hour of Charm Orchestra. She describes working in New York during WWII, being a female musician, and the success of all-girl bands during that time period. She details her career after the dissolution of the Hour of Charm, and her life, presently, in California.