The late Hubert Smith is most famous for his song Bermuda Is Another World — but did he really write it?

It was shortly after his death in December 2001 that one of his family members claimed to have actually written the song.

The talk shows buzzed with claims that Mr Smith was a fraud.

A new play written by Dale Butler pays tribute to Mr Smith and his band The Coral Islanders and tackles the controversial issues of Mr Smith’s life head-on.

Mr Smith played in Bermuda extensively between the 1950s and the 1970s.

He produced several albums and toured abroad. Bermuda Is Another World was commissioned by the Bermuda Department of Tourism in the early 1980s.

The song, which details the beauty of Bermuda, became hugely popular and at one time was considered the unofficial anthem of the Island.

“I wrote the play after extensive research and it not only tackles the good things about Hubert’s life, but also some more controversial elements,” said Mr Butler.

“My grandfather told me specifically how he wrote the song,” said Mr Smith’s grandson Dean Ming. “We were sitting in the car one evening and we talked for a long time. He said the [DoT] gave him the title Bermuda is a Different World but he couldn’t make that work, so he changed it to Another World. To write the song he told me how he pictured the bees and hibiscus and Bermuda life. He told me he wrote it and I believe him.”

Mr Butler said he has checked the copyright on the song, and only Mr Smith’s name is on it. “To write this play I consulted a lot of people, but I wrote it,” Mr Butler said.

“I have thanked the people who helped me, but at the end of the day it is mine. Maybe it was the same way with Hubert and this song.”

Michael Stowe played with the Coral Islanders for 13 years and appears on Mr Smith’s album It Doesn’t Hurt to Be Friendly.

“Hubert was very easy to get along with,” said Mr Stowe. “He was very pleasant and knowledgeable. He always gave me advice when I needed it. He was a great guy to be around and I learned a lot with him.”

One of the criticisms against Mr Smith was that he was too nice. Some people in Bermuda have said that when The Follies entertainment show was brought in from abroad for the Bermuda stage, in the late 1970s, it destroyed the local entertainment industry.

“Some people said he should have fought against it,” said Mr Butler. “The play looks at why he didn’t.”

Mr Ming said he thought it was important that young people learn about the achievements of older people in the community.

“My grandfather did a lot of other things too,” he said.

Mr Smith started a musicians’ union in Bermuda, and was instrumental in using his contacts to get several tennis courts, musical venues and golf courses desegregated.

The play will have a seven-night run at Fourways Inn in Warwick, and part of the proceeds will go towards the Hubert Smith Memorial Award.

The show opens on September 21. This first show is for seniors and students and is $50.

Tickets are $70 in advance or $80 at the door. Contact the Fourways Inn or Music Box for details.