*Hollywood, CA – Nearly 10 years ago, while waiting for my car to be serviced at an auto shop, I happened to notice the guy next to me wearing a familiar-looking bracelet.
I told him the only people I knew who wore that particular style bracelet were The Temptations. He seemed surprised that I recognized it and told me he was once the valet for the Tempts.
As this elder gentleman began telling me all their names and some of the Motown history, I knew he was right there in the mix during the Motown “heyday.”
The man – Roosevelt “Bucky” Smith – was waiting for his “cherried-out” 1963 Chevy Impala SS to be serviced. We chatted a while and exchanged numbers to keep in touch. When I got home I couldn’t wait to call my friend Cornelius Grant – former bandleader for Marvin Gaye, Mary Wells and ultimately The Temptations) – to tell him about the encounter. It was a surprise all the way around!
Grant recalls being on the road during the Motown bus tours where Bucky made a profit selling sandwiches and other snacks to the artists. He laughs, “Bucky made a deal with the driver to bypass all the stops so we all would have to come to him when we got hungry. He made a hundred percent profit.” Of all the members of the Tempts, Bucky says he was closest to Paul Williams. He says, “I was Paul’s driver because he didn’t drive. He wouldn’t go anywhere unless I drove him…and he trusted me.”
Also an actor and stuntman, Bucky was one of the characters in the Planet of the Apes series, and has appeared in other prime time TV shows like Colombo.
I took Bucky to the memorial service for the late Motown writer/producer Harvey Fuqua. After the service I walked him over to Smokey Robinson and asked Smokey, “Do you remember this guy?” Smokey said, “Sure, that’s Bucky!” as they embraced each other after being out of touch for decades. It was heartwarming for Bucky that Smokey remembered. He talked about it all the way home.
Bucky’s home has a wall of fame filled with signed photos of Hollywood’s finest. He’s particularly proud of his friendship with actor Richard “Shaft” Roundtree. He says, “[before he went public] Richard once told me that you can’t let Hollywood know if you’re sick. I did not know at the time that he was struggling with breast cancer. I wish I could get in touch with him.”
While working in the film industry, Bucky used to take his granddaughters around to the different studios with him. One of them is actress Tasha Smith who stars in Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse, and guest appears on the hit series Empire. He says, “Tasha used to cook, get directions and have everything in order…she paid attention to detail.”
On Bucky’s current condition Grant says, “To see someone who’s always been so physically fit now having health issues is really hard to take.” The good news is that he is now getting great medical attention with noticeable results.
If you’d like to send best wishes to Bucky, he’d be glad to hear from you. He can be reached at (323) 479-2478. He’s being cared for at
California Post-Acute Care Services
3615 E. Imperial Hwy
Lynwood, CA 90262
Phone: (310) 639-4623
Larry Buford: (213) 220-8101
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