Singer- Songwriter
About Bern “Song” Smith:
Songwriter, Sailor. Military man. Poet. Student. and World-Traveler. The songwriter is the artist.
A self-described Renaissance Man, Bern Smith has created a large catalog of melodic, lyrically thoughtful and emotionally soul-filled songs that evoke a real sense of romance. He uses both familiar and complex rhythms – and often, a unique twist or perspective.
Alaskan-born, of an American father ( a former professional musician), and his Icelandic mother (a popular Icelandic recording star), Bern grew up in Iceland with an early grounding in the classics and a deep appreciation for adventure. Moving to the D.C. area at sixteen, he spent the next fourteen years as a working musician, playing up and down the East Coast and in the L.A. area. Originally a bass player for the noted D.C. band, The Magic Reign – and later in SLEEPER, he opened for artists including John Sebastian, Iron Butterfly, Little Richard, and Little River Band, and more recently – Jefferson Starship.
Joining the Navy in 1982, Bern spent the next 21 years traveling the world, including stints in Special Warfare, and duty stations in Japan, Scotland, Spain, and Estonia. Fatefully deployed to the Western Pacific as a Craft Master in an Amphibious Readiness Group in August of 2001, his craft landed Marines on a remote beach in Pakistan, on their way to Afghanistan, in the first days after 9-11. His years in service inspired some of his most moving music. Along the way, the multi-lingual Smith could be found singing on various stages around the world from Asia to Europe. After a stint driving boats as a Deputy Sheriff, he returned to a life at sea as a merchant marine and seeking “the biggest ship, going the farthest, paying the most.” Fifty states and sixty-five countries later, he has retired to the Pacific North West, spending part of the year in Maryland and Ecuador – and points in between.
Through the years, the full tilt, horizon-chasing Smith has been molded and inspired by the people and places and along the way, and they are here – in the music.
