Arlos Smith records "This Ole Guitar" at Sweetsong Productions in Wood County in February. (Photo by Paul LaPann)

PARKERSBURG — Arlos Smith recently returned to the local studio where he recorded his first songs.

In the 1980s, Smith was a member of the band Onyx that recorded that first album at Sweetsong Productions in Wood County. Smith said he and Steve Eakins wrote the songs for the album.

In February, Smith returned to Sweetsong Productions for the first time in many years in hopes of adding to his country hits with his original song “This Ole Guitar.”

Smith wrote the song last year while working in construction in Texas.

His guitar was lying on the bed in his hotel room.

Roger Hoover, left, owner of Sweetsong Productions, and Arlos Smith, right, singer-songwriter, began working together at Hoover's recording studio in the 1980s. (Photo by Paul LaPann)

He picked up the guitar one night and the lyrics started flowing, Smith said. “Sometimes this ole guitar weighs a thousand pounds,” according to the lyrics of the song.

Smith plans to send “This Ole Guitar” to his former publishers and friends in Nashville in hopes it will be recorded by a singer or band.

Smith estimates he has written 1,000-2,000 country songs. He wants to write more songs and plans to bring some of his past written songs “out of the drawer” as possible recordings.

Smith, 54, a 1983 graduate of Parkersburg High School, recently moved back to Parkersburg after spending many years as a singer-songwriter in Nashville. Smith moved to “Music City” in 1994 to write songs.

Smith, known as “Bub” in his native Wood County, wrote the hit songs “Mayberry” recorded by Rascal Flatts and “Home to You” recorded by John Michael Montgomery. Smith was named SESAC’s Country Songwriter of the Year in 2000 for “Home to You,” which he co-wrote with Sara Light, and followed this with SESAC’s Country Songwriter of the Year in 2004 for “Mayberry.”

“Mayberry” reached number one and “Home to You” number two on the Billboard country charts.

He estimates he had 20 cuts, or songs, recorded by singers Neal McCoy, David Kersh, Trini Trigs, Michael Peterson, James Otto, Steve Holy, Jerrod Niemann, Craig Campbell, Trent Tomlinson and others.

“I am about three songs away from the Songwriters Hall of Fame,” he said.

Smith said all his songs are about growing up in Wood County.

“Every song I write, someone here is in it,” he said.

“Bub is a talented guy. He has the energy and enthusiasm and is creative,” said Roger Hoover, owner of Sweetsong Productions. Back in the 1980s, besides recording an album at Sweetsong, Smith also sang demos and jingles at the Wood County recording studio at Hoover’s request.

Hoover said he recognized Smith’s songwriting and musical talents back in the 1980s.

While living and working in Nashville, Smith would bring singer-songwriters Trent Tomlinson, David Kersh, Shane Decker, Michael Peterson, Daryle Singletary and Mark McGuinn to perform in Parkersburg.

As for why he moved back home, Smith said Nashville had become a larger city from when he moved there in the 1990s and the music business had changed.

He became weary of the life on the road as a singer-songwriter.

“Nashville is a 10-year town. I got 20 years,” Smith said.

Smith said Tuesday he was thankful his family and friends were not injured in the tornado that hit Nashville. “Prayers for Nashville,” he said.

Smith wants to start a singer-songwriters night in Wood County for local residents.

Smith’s advice to budding singer-songwriters is “to write, write. Good things will happen.”

For those wanting to someday play professionally in a band, Smith advises first playing music in a garage band.

“Find someone you love playing music with. The rest will take care of itself,” he said.

Smith credits the lessons he learned while singing in the Parkersburg High School A Cappella Choir, directed by Jean Singer and Kathryn Sayre, with helping him land work in Nashville. Smith said he was hired to sing harmonies, which he learned at PHS, for music demos in Nashville. Not every singer in Nashville could sing harmonies, he said.

“He (Smith) loved music,” Singer said. “He had a lot of talent.”

Hoover, a former radio announcer, opened Sweetsong Productions in 1976.

Hoover said some of the many highlights involving his business are members of Lynyrd Skynyrd and rock band Disturbed recording there, filmmaker-producer Steven Soderbergh recording for his movie “Bubble,” videotaping Piper Aircraft’s 50th reunion-anniversary in Lock Haven, Pa., and interviewing company official Tony Piper, pitch correcting the vocals for a live Bobby Vinton recording, announcer for the Miss America reunion benefit show, producing three “live” videos and two “live” CDs for nationally known gospel singer-songwriter Squire Parsons, producing five videos for Christian speaker-author Joyce Meyer for national broadcast, producing the jingle for West Virginia University Mountaineer Football that was broadcast for 13 years, and producing three projects with nationally known singer Donnie Sumner, former backup vocalist with Elvis Presley and a member of the Stamps Quartet.

Sweetsong has grown to produce for local, regional, national and international clients, Hoover noted. The studio was recently remodeled and received an upgrade in equipment.

“It all began here with the Onyx band at Roger’s,” Smith said of his music career while standing in the Sweetsong Productions studio in February.

Hoover has been “a great friend from the beginning to the end of my story,” Smith said.

Smith is happy to be back living in Wood County and recording another song.