This award winning multi talented artist has been around since the early 1980s. Since then, Michael W Smith has been writing and making music that has sold millions. He has even tried his hand at acting and done well. He has proven that he is extremely versatile and hard working.

Michael W Smith

“I can only hope to be remembered as a God-fearing man who loved his wife and kids well.”

This award winning multi talented artist has been around since the early 1980s. Since then, Michael W Smith has been writing and making music that has sold millions. He has even tried his hand at acting and done well. He has proven that he is extremely versatile and hard working.

Christian Upbringing

Born in Kenova, West Virginia in 1957, Michael W. Smith began writing music at the early age of five years old. Through his church, he found his love of music and God. He learned piano early on and sang in the church choir as a young child. He has stated that at the age of 10 he had an ‘intense religious experience’ causing him to give up his life to becoming a devout Christian. It was at that time that he began to become involved in bible study and made older friends that shared his intense faith.

Because he made older friends, they were not around for long. They left to go to college and live their adult lives while he stayed behind. It was at this time that he found himself gravitating towards drugs and alcohol to fight off his feelings of loneliness. Once he graduated high school, he went on to go to college at Marshal University in West Virginia but only stayed for a semester. He left college to go to Nashville to pursue his career in music.

Starting Out

In 1978, he found himself working as a landscaper to support himself in Nashville. It was at this time that the found himself a substance abuse problem. The following year, he had a breakdown that led him to recommit himself to the Christian faith. From then on he left drugs and alcohol behind him and focused on music. He began as a keyboardist, touring throughout churches.

In 1981, he was hired as a songwriter to Meadowgreen Music. He was very successful at this but wanted to be back on the road. He began to tour once again, this time with Amy Grant the following year. During this tour, he impressed Amy’s managers to the point where they created a record label titled Reunion Records and signed him right away.

Just one year later, in 1983, he released his first album. The Michael W Smith Project was written by both Michael W Smith and his wife Debbie. As he worked on the album and during its release he continued to tour with Amy Grant.

In 1984, he began to headline his own tours with the release of his second album, The Big Picture. This critically acclaimed rock album was able to help him to make a name for himself and show what he was made of.

Mainstream

In 1988, he had yet another album release that led him once again to tour with Amy Grant. It was after this that he then went on to release his very first Christmas Album. It was in 1990 that he began to go main stream. His first main stream album, Go West Young Man brought him a hit single entitled Place in this World. Just two years later, he came out with another main stream album entitled Change Your World. From 1995 to 1999, he released three more crossover albums and another Christmas album.

Most of his albums contain at least one instrumental track. In 2000, he was able to release a track that was all instrumental entitled Freedom. For the next two years, he released two live albums entitled Worship and Worship Again.

Outside of Music

In 1994, he founded a teen club for teens to go to to be in a safe and loving environment. It is called Rocketown and is an old warehouse that has been converted into a dance floor. Pool tables and even a coffee house was added. In addition to this in 1996, he formed his own private label called Rocketown Records. He personally does not record on this label but signs artists to it. His very first artist was Chris Rice.

Recent Works

In 2004, Michael W Smith released Healing Rain, it debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 200. He saw great success with this album with the #1 title track. The album was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album. Two years later, he came out with Stand. In 2007, he released his third Christmas album filled with all original Christmas songs. In 2008, he recorded another live Christian album entitled A New Hallelujah, shortly before this album was released he began to tour again with Steven Curtis Chapman.

Did You Know…

• …he is the national spokesperson for Compassion International

• …he has had twenty eight number one songs during his career

• …he and Bono are close friends

• …he is also good friends with former president George W Bush

• …he is one of the highest free mp3 downloaded Christian singers

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