Ethel Smith, born Ethel Goldsmith on November 22, 1902, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was a renowned American organist celebrated for her pop and Latin music style on the Hammond organ. Her musical journey began with early performances and extensive travel, following her studies in music and languages at Carnegie Institute of Technology. Smith's proficiency in Latin music was honed during her time in South America, which became her signature style.

Smith's film career included appearances in Hollywood productions such as "George White's Scandals" (1945) and "Melody Time" (1948), where she was noted for her elaborate costumes and hats. Her marriage to actor Ralph Bellamy from 1945 to 1947 ended in a widely publicized divorce. In the 1940s, she founded the Ethel Smith Music Corporation to publish sheet music, further cementing her influence in the music industry.

Her most famous recording, "Tico Tico," was featured in the MGM film "Bathing Beauty" (1944) and became a significant hit, selling nearly two million copies worldwide. Another notable hit was "Down Yonder," which reached the charts in 1951. Smith's music also found a place in popular culture as "Monkey on a String" became the theme for the children's show "Garfield Goose and Friends."

Throughout her career, Smith recorded dozens of albums, mostly for Decca Records, and was known for her virtuosic organ playing, which could also be heard in Disney cartoons. She authored several music books and textbooks, sharing the secrets of her playing style. Despite her fame, Smith never had children and spent her later years in Palm Beach, Florida, where she passed away on May 10, 1996, at the age of 93. Known as the "Tico Tico Lady," Ethel Smith is remembered as the world's first "pop organist."