Complex sentence: With lagging sales, Wagoner and his trio played schoolhouses for the gate proceeds; but in 1953, his song "Trademark" became a hit for Carl Smith, followed by a few hits of his own on RCA.
Split into simpler sentences: With lagging sales, Wagoner and his trio played schoolhouses for the gate proceeds. In 1953, his song entitled "Trademark" became a hit for Carl Smith, followed by a few hits of his own on RCA.