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THE FORGOTTEN MASTER/ Jazz guitarist Johnny Smith passed up spotlight for real life

Johnny Smith's hands are at peace in his lap.

These hands are 80 years old, dotted with brown spots and twisted just a bit. They grasp each other to stave off the the tremors of age.

These hands hold the secrets of one of the finest jazz guitarists to ever pick up the instrument - a man who, despite his prodigious talent, chose obscurity over fame.

And he doesn't regret it.

Nearly a half-century ago, this reluctant guitar hero gave up his crack at stardom and never looked back. A decade ago, he quit playing the guitar altogether.

"It's a frustration," Smith says. "You're either in it or you're out of it, and the in-between is nothing but frustration. Unless you're performing all the time, ...

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