Claydes Charles Smith, born Claydes Eugene Smith on September 6, 1948, in Jersey City, New Jersey, was an influential American musician best known as the co-founder and lead guitarist of the iconic band Kool & the Gang. Introduced to jazz guitar by his father in the early 1960s, Smith's musical journey began with a Kay Electric guitar purchased for him at a pawnshop. He left Lincoln High School in 1965 and formed a group with his school friends, eventually joining forces with the Jazziacs, which included the Bell brothers, Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell, among others.

In 1968, the group, then known as Kool & the Flames, caught the attention of writer and producer Gene Redd and soon adopted the name Kool & the Gang. The band became renowned for their unique blend of jazz, funk, R&B, and pop, achieving significant success from the 1960s through the 1980s with hits like "Funky Stuff," "Jungle Boogie," and "Hollywood Swinging." Smith was instrumental in co-writing many of the band's biggest hits, including "Celebration," "Joanna," and "Stone Love."

Smith's guitar style, characterized by cool jazz stylings and octave runs, added a distinctive sound to the group, notably on tracks like "Summer Madness." Despite his success, Smith stopped touring in January 2006 due to illness and passed away on June 20, 2006, in Maplewood, New Jersey, at the age of 57. He left behind a legacy as a gifted artist and a family of six children. In 2024, he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Kool & the Gang.