Chuck Smith, also known as Stray Deuce Music, is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is an experienced artist who has performed and recorded with artists such as Diana Ross, The Funk Brothers (Motown), Lee Ritenour (smooth jazz legend), Paul Williams (who won a Grammy with Daft Punk in 2014 and an Oscar for best song for “Evergreen”), Johnny Rivers (a top 40 hitmaker), and others. Stray has also played with Willie’s Nerve Clinic, a band he formed with bass icon Dirk Lance, a founding member of the multi-platinum band Incubus.
The title hit from Diana Ross’s 1977 album, Baby It’s Me, is one of Stray’s classic masterpieces. Other notable career highlights include producing a techno-funk score for Planet Fashion in London, recording for Columbia and Motown, and winning a Clio Award for music he developed for a series of radio commercials. Chuck also runs songwriting workshops and has spoken at conferences like the San Diego Writers Conference and the Learning Annex. He’s given lectures on the history of rock ‘n’ roll and the evolution of songwriting, and he’s participated in numerous studio sessions as a vocalist, guitarist, and vocal arranger.
A uniquely gifted artist, Stray has established an authentic music brand defined by his socially conscious songs. His music is known to have meaning while also delivering entertainment value. As a result, many of his fans have expressed that they find themselves listening to the lyrics intently. This has been fulfilling for Stray as it’s an indication of music serving its purpose as many fans normally don’t pay attention to the words of a song, only the melody and rhythm.
“The problem I help solve is giving people hilarious and timely music. Most specifically, ‘Billie Sings’ and ‘Lockdown Daze.’ ‘Trash Mars’ is another original song that uses humor to deal with a pressing world issue. People can always use good music to listen to. Especially when there is the meaning behind it, we can come together because of it,” Stray explains.
There is also an unusual mix of influences, including jazz, the Great American Songbook, rock music from different eras, and lush vocal harmonies mixed with funk elements, all in the service of telling a story. This, coupled with his unparalleled work ethic and dynamism, rate him as one of the most inspirational artists of his generation, if not a legend in the making.
A born philanthropist, Stray also has a selfless personality, which is evident in his desire and passion to mentor others to achieve success. Chuck has given individual one-on-one tuition to hundreds of people. He teaches guitar, bass, vocals, and songwriting from classical to classic rock, folk to heavy metal, jazz to punk, and screamo to emo. He’s familiar with bottleneck slides, funk rhythms, effects, and soloing. His vocal classes focus on contemporary music techniques such as pop, rock, jazz, blues, country, and aggressive genres. Chuck has helped numerous kids prepare for auditions for television and film roles and school plays and musicals.
Moving forward, Stray believes that Billie Eilish will continue to be a trend because of how she’s positioned herself in the music industry. He is also focused on environmental conservation, which will continue to be an industry trend because it’s an important aspect globally and pertinent for humanity moving forward.
“If we keep living how we have been and don’t take action, we will be in trouble,” says Stray.
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