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English composer, church organist, and musicologist, best known for composing the melody that became 'The Star-Spangled Banner', the national anthem of the United States. Born in Gloucester, England, Smith was a chorister at the Chapel Royal under Bernard Gates and later studied with William Boyce. He became a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal in 1784 and organist at Gloucester Cathedral (1790) and the Chapel Royal (1802). A founding member of the prestigious Glee Club, he composed numerous glees, canons, and church music. His most enduring legacy stems from his composition 'To Anacreon in Heaven', written for the Anacreontic Society, whose melody was later adapted by Francis Scott Key for his poem 'Defence of Fort M'Henry', leading to 'The Star-Spangled Banner'.

• Smith's most famous composition, 'To Anacreon in Heaven', was originally a drinking song for a London gentlemen's club (The Anacreontic Society), celebrating the Greek poet Anacreon.
• The melody's journey from a British club song to the US national anthem is an unexpected twist. Francis Scott Key heard the tune used for a popular song called 'Adams and Liberty' before adapting it for his own poem during the War of 1812.
• Smith was also a significant music historian. He published 'Musica Antiqua' (1812), a valuable collection of early music manuscripts, demonstrating his scholarly interests beyond composition.
• Despite composing the tune for one of the world's most recognizable anthems, Smith remained relatively obscure during his lifetime and died in London in 1836, unaware of the melody's future iconic status in America. The original manuscript of 'To Anacreon in Heaven' resides in the Maryland Historical Society.