By the early 1920s, Smith starred a musical called "How Come?" with Sidney Bechet. The musical went to Broadway. Smith had an argument with the producer of "How Come?" and she was replaced by Alberta Hunter. Smith went back to Philadelphia, where she now lived. She met and fell in love with a security guard called Jack Gee. They got married on June 7, 1923. At this time, Smith made her first song recordings with Columbia Records. Her marriage was difficult and both of them had affairs.