EAST TEXAS UNFILTERED w/J. Chad Parker Featuring Stephen "Smitty" Smith

In this episode, J. Chad Parker sits down with lifelong friend Stephen “Smitty” Smith for a wide-open conversation that stretches from their childhood in Tyler to Smitty’s three-decade journey through the Western apparel industry. Smitty talks about stumbling into the business in the late 80s through Cavender’s, learning retail from the back room forward, and eventually becoming a rep traveling across the country and even into China and Mexico to work with leather manufacturers. He shares the funny, strange, and unforgettable experiences from those early years—including time spent in Huntsville stores surrounded by prison-made leather goods, the small-town web of relationships in the Western wear world, and the way the industry has exploded thanks to trends like Yellowstone, social media, and the nationwide rise of the cowboy aesthetic.

The conversation goes deeper as Smitty walks Chad through the personal side of his story. He left his long time employer after 22 years, facing depression for the first time, reworking his life with the help of friends and a therapist, and eventually returning to Cinch with a new sense of focus and clarity. He talks openly about raising his daughters, navigating life after divorce, aging, loneliness, and the strange, vulnerable process of starting over in your 50s. Smitty shares the highs and lows of traveling for work, setting up for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, and the moment a health scare during NFR led to a hospital stay where world-famous bull rider Tuff Hedeman refused to leave his side. It’s equal parts emotional, hilarious, and human.

Chad and Smitty also dive into the music world Smitty accidentally became part of—helping launch Southern Thread, outfitting artists before social media existed, and building friendships with names like Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Whiskey Myers, and others who grew out of the Texas and Red Dirt scenes. Smitty shares behind-the-scenes stories from Steamboat, Gruene Hall, Bootlegger’s, and the early days of countless bands before they blew up. It’s an unfiltered, nostalgic, and surprisingly inspiring look at friendship, music, mental health, and the unpredictable roads life takes when you say yes, show up, and treat people right.  Subscribe and turn on notifications for more conversations like this.