The first one hundred times or so, Jeff Tappe had to have the lyrics right in front of him. The words are tricky even though he chose them, and that’s because each syllable comes faster than most lyrics do.
Legendary singer/songwriter Johnny Cash, a country music Hall of Famer who performed a number of times at the Capitol Theatre in downtown Wheeling a number of times, had penned and recorded his version of the song back in 1996. Tappe, known to many as “Smoke Daddy,” created his version more than a decade ago.
“My brother really does travel everywhere, and he gets on me sometimes because I rarely leave the valley,” explained Tappe, who performs most Tuesday evenings at the Alpha Tavern. “So, I borrowed the music from Johnny Cash and wrote the song about all of the places I’ve been and played in this area. Well, almost … I’ve never performed in the county jail or at the Krishna palace, but you never know.
“With the warmer weather coming, I’m looking forward to playing a lot of gigs and private parties like I did last year. I have no intention of slowing down, that’s for sure,” he said. “I plan on playing as often as I can, so if people would like me to play at their place or their party, just reach out, and if I have room in the schedule, I’ll be there.”
And his version of “I’ve Been Everywhere” is on the playlist for every show.
“I always plan to play it, but sometimes it comes out earlier than later because it gets requested a lot,” Tappe said with a smile. “I’ve never been much of a songwriter – I play all covers during my shows and the crowd sings along and has a blast – but I have performed in every corner of this valley, that’s for sure, and I still am.
“The big thing is, when I’m performing ‘I’ve Been Everywhere,’ if I miss one word, it really throws me off,” Tappe admitted. “So, I’m really careful about it. There for a while I was getting into it like the crowd was, and that’s when I would mess it up, but some fans have gotten to know the words, too, and they’ve helped me out.”
“I’ve Been Everywhere” – The Smokedaddy Version
Well, I’ve been everywhere, yeah, I’ve been everywhere, yeah
Across the river there, yeah, breathing that steel mill air, yeah …
Traveling, I’ve had my share, yeah, I’ve been everywhere.
I’ve been to Warwood, Benwood, Kennywood, Leewood, Oglebay, Bethany, Follansbee, West Liberty, Beallsville, Barnesville, Wellsville, Wintersville, Sistersville, Yorkville, Tiltonsville, Steubenville, Pittsburgh, Clarksburg, Jacobsburg, Wellsburg. North Wheeling, South Wheeling, East Wheeling, West Wheeling …
Well, I’ve been everywhere, yeah, I’ve been everywhere, yeah
Across there river there, breathing that steel mill air, yeah …
Traveling, I’ve had my share, yeah, I’ve been everywhere.
I’ve been to Wheeling Creek, Weegee Creek, Fish Creek, Crooked Creek, Elm Grove, Pine Grove, Valley Grove, National Road, Bridgeport, Airport, Martins Ferry, United Dairy, Clinton Hills, Cherry Hill, Vineyard Hill, Two-Mile Hill, Weirton, Bellaire, Paden City, River City, Shadyside, Woodsfield, Dilles Bottom, ain’t a problem …
Well, I’ve been everywhere, yeah, I’ve been everywhere, yeah
Across there river there, breathing that steel mill air, yeah …
Traveling, I’ve had my share, yeah, I’ve been everywhere.
I’ve been to Wheeling Island, Pike Island, Dillonvale, Hopedale, Pleasanton, Clairington, Rayland, McMechen, Clearview, Cameron, Cedar Point, North Park, Garden Park, Bridge Park, Wheeling Park, Mozart, Tappan Lake, Star Lake, Seneca Lake, Schenk Lake, Climbs Lake, Kenny’s Lake, Steak n’ Shake, for goodness sake …
Well, I’ve been everywhere, yeah, I’ve been everywhere, yeah
Across there river there, breathing that steel mill air, yeah …
Traveling, I’ve had my share, yeah, I’ve been everywhere.
I’ve been Uptown, downtown, Wheeling Downs, Taylorstown, Morgantown, Washington, Mingo, Toronto, Woodsdale, Glen Dale, Bike Trail, Bethlehem, Fulton, Clator, Dimmeydale, County Jail, Boggs Run, Peters Run, Pogues Run, Dixon’s Run, Highlands, St. C, Cadiz, Dallas, Krishna Palace …
Well, I’ve been everywhere, yeah, I’ve been everywhere, yeah
Across there river there, breathing that steel mill air, yeah …
Traveling, I’ve had my share, yeah, I’ve been everywhere …
A Side Hustle Singer
His on-stage career stretches all the way back to his college days at West Virginia University, and once Tappe became a proud Mountaineer alum, he retained performing as a second job that has taken him to all counties and corners of the Upper Ohio Valley.
First, for weddings.
“I started playing when I was in a band in Morgantown while I was in college. Talk about a blast,” Tappe remembered with raised eyebrows. “That was back when the Sunnyside area was still packed with bars, and all of the students went there most nights of the week. Those bars were rocking every night.
“After school, I came back to Wheeling and started playing with some bands in this area,” he said. “Then I started with ‘The Shop Band’ and we pretty much played weddings every weekend. It was fun and the money was good, but some of us were getting tired of playing ‘The Electric Slide’ every weekend. Some of us wanted to get back into playing rock songs; we were young back then and rock n’ roll was a big deal.”
That’s when Jeff Tappe first became known as “Smoke Daddy.”
I got with my old buddy Bob Gibb and some other guys, and we started ‘Smoke Daddy & The Crawfish’ back in the early 1990s, and it was great,” he said. “We had so much fun, and we played a lot of shows for a lot of years. The stories I could tell … that’s why I’ve always thought about writing a book about those experiences.
“I think we ended playing together for 20 years or so, and we were the main event for a lot of years at Oglebayfest, and that was a great, great gig,” Tappe said. “We had gigs at tailgate parties at Steelers games, and at private parties. It was so much fun, and we made so many memories I’ll never forget. That’s why I’ve been trying to get a reunion together for some time this summer.”
