John Smith is a legendary figure in the beach music scene, but the veteran DJ needed a new tag-team partner.

It looks he found one.

Smith was sharing the DJ booth with North Myrtle Beach’s Bill Harper on Thursday afternoon at Duck’s and they were playing all the favorites.

They talked about it in the last year in the last couple of SOS (Society of Stranders) events and it has finally come to fruition. 

“We’re doing three sets together and I am thoroughly enjoying it,” said Smith, who lives in Andrews and is the retired town manager. “He and I play a lot of the same kind of music … We’re having a great time with it.”

Harper, who once owned the famous Jolly Knave in Atlantic Beach, N.C., has been a DJ for decades. He, too, is excited about the partnership.

“Which guy?” Harper said. “John D. Smith? He’s the best. If I had to hook up with anybody, it would be with Mr. John right here. That’s right.”

Smith and Ed Timberlake teamed up for 32 years to DJ shag events. Timberlake passed away five years ago. 

This is Smith’s 37th year playing music at Duck’s. It worked out for Harper to be the guy.

And to say that Harper is glad would be an understatement.

“I was so excited, you wouldn’t believe it,” Harper said. “I’ve DJ’d for a long time and I don’t get real excited to go out. When he asked, my whole attitude changed.”

“Ready to play music,” Smith said.

Smith and Harper both had laptops in front of them as they lined up tracks to play continuously. When one song was finished, another was ready to go immediately.

Much has changed when it comes to being a DJ. With the exception of vinyl parties, crates of records aren’t being hauled around anymore.

“I got my first computer in ’95,” Smith said. “One of the reasons is we were flying to a lot of gigs and we needed to lighten up. We would go to Jacksonville, Daytona, Tennessee. It was a necessity. … Here I am 30 years later, still using it.”