Viola Smith is a renowned percussionist who has seemingly found the key to a content and lengthy life – playing drums with enthusiasm plus savoring moderate amounts of excellent wine.
At 106 years old, Viola is still playing the drums in her band called ‘Forever Young Band: America’s Oldest Act of Professional Entertainers.’ For 80 fruitful years, she had a remarkable career and tried everything from jazz to swing to rock n’ roll.
Music has always been a central part of Viola’s life. She was born on November 29, 1912, into a musical family in Mount Calvary, Wisconsin. As one of ten children, everyone in her family took piano lessons and studied music. In the 1920s, her dad got all seven of his female siblings together to form the Smith Sisters Orchestra.
She rose to fame after they performed on the Major Bowes Amateur Hour in the 1930s. This is a 1930s radio version of America’s Got Talent. Then, in 1938, Mildred and her saxophonist sister, Evelyn, formed an all-female orchestra called The Coquettes. They continued to perform until Mildred married in 1942.
The Coquettes was likely one of Viola’s best-known feats. This all-female swing band would create several well-received pieces of swing music during the early days of WWII.
Viola moved to New York and decided to join another well-known all-girl orchestra, the Phil Spitalny’s Hour Of Charm Orchestra. She is an expert in reading music, so she was eventually given a chance to play with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Until today, it has been one of the most renowned orchestras.
In 1949, Viola performed at the inauguration of President Harry S. Truman. Following that, she formed the band Viola and Her Seventeen Drums. This is when she began to focus more on Broadway. Viola appeared in the very first run of Cabaret (1966).
She shared stories about her career and the other legendary musicians she had the opportunity to perform with during her interview with Dan Barret in early 2019. Viola has always been a vocal advocate for women in music. She recalled writing an essay for Down Beat magazine entitled “Give Girl Musicians A Break,” which she wrote while World War II was at its height.
She took on the task of recruiting male replacements for wounded soldiers during World War I, but she also tirelessly lobbied for bands that had lost male musicians to the fight in Europe so those female musicians could take their place. This essay sparked a national discussion about female artists and men’s preconceptions about them at the time.
When asked about what she believes has contributed to her long life, she explained that though she smoked for a short while, she regular exercising through drumming as well as an occasional alcoholic drink.
She stated, “I’m a drinker, but definitely always in moderation. Even Dad: had a tavern in his nightclub in Wisconsin. He’d even bring kids in the family wine. So, we’d have wine (with) dinner. I still drink wine now.”
Viola Smith is a legend in her own right! She is, without a doubt, the youngest and healthiest-looking 100-year-old person that anyone has ever seen. It’s clear that you love what you do and value life if you are like this. This is what it means to live life to the fullest!
