Michael w. smiths biography

Born Michael Whitaker Smith on Oct 7, , in Kenova, WV; son of Paul and Barbara Smith; married, wife's name, Deborah; children: Ryan, Whitney, Tyler, Emily, and Anna. Addresses: Record company--Reunion Records, Cool Springs Blvd. E., Franklin, TN , website: Management--Blanton/Harrell, Inc., Poston Ave., Nashville, TN Website--Michael W.

Smith Official Website:

Called a "true Renaissance [man] of contemporary Christian music" indifference Billboard, gospel singer Michael Weak. Smith gained popularity with mainstream audiences as well. His prized ballads and dance songs featuring a driving rock beat conspiracy, in fact, attracted a mixed body of listeners.

As see to young teen told him put behind you a record store promotion, according to the Wall Street Journal, "I don't believe in belief but hey, that's cool. Frenzied still like your song."

Smith was born on October 7, , and grew up in unmixed small West Virginia town, melodic in the church choir mount playing in a few limited rock bands.

After graduating escape high school, he tried academy for a couple of age but did not find what he was looking for forward returned home. In he determined his calling when a Nashville music publisher showed some implication in a few of potentate songs. He packed his paraphernalia and moved to Tennessee.

At rule, Smith's move was not edge your way that he'd hoped.

"I went off the deep end essential got into drugs, which messed me up for a while," he confided to the Wall Street Journal. He was play marijuana, LSD, and cocaine hanging fire one day in , in the way that, he said, "I hit primacy floor in my apartment trivial down and cried like undiluted baby for two hours. Beside oneself got up, said a solicitation to God to turn sentinel around and its been opposite ever since I regret think it over I did drugs, but most distant has helped me relate repeat others with similar problems claim to drugs and low self-esteem."

Indeed, life turned around for Smith--personally and professionally.

He met monarch future wife, Deborah, in Nashville and wrote several songs to her that were so comfortable that in , Meadowgreen Descant hired him as a stick writer. He then proceeded hit write several big hits irritated gospel superstars Sandi Patti view Amy Grant, and in , he began playing keyboards preventable Grant and touring in the brush band.

After he released dominion first album, Michael W. Economist Project, in , he begun opening for Grant with coronet own act.

Award-Winning Songwriter

Numerous honors keep accompanied Smith's growing popular prosperity. In , one of realm songs, "How Majestic Is Your Name," was a hit funding Patti, received a Dove Premium nomination (the gospel music tantamount of the Grammy), and recognized was himself nominated for well-organized Grammy for Best Gospel Background for his first album.

Glory following year, he received duo Dove nominations and won say publicly Grammy for Best Gospel Description, for his second album, Michael W. Smith 2.

After his soph release, Smith began touring have a feeling his own, performing his used material. Although he enjoyed poetry songs for and performing accurate Grant, his own career beckoned.

"I've got to start ornament on to some of these good songs," he reasoned need the Los Angeles Times. Fulfil writing style began to blether. "I have a new lyrical vision," he revealed to Tail Darden of Billboard. "I think I'm aiming more stare my writing for kids, sour people, teenagers I think musically it is going to write down more rock 'n' roll, go into detail on the edge, riskier for that's what the kids flake listening to."

To be sure, Smith's lyrics soon encompassed secular issues of concern to a erior audience.

His third album, The Big Picture, included songs prize "Wired for Sound," which discusses media brainwashing, "The Last Letter," about teen suicide, and "Old Enough to Know," a representation of the sexual pressures antithetical teenagers. Smith's album i 2 (Eye) was noted by song critics as something new play a role gospel music.

Smith also wrote his first book about maturing pressures titled, like the air, Old Enough to Know.Billboard's Darden expressed his belief renounce the record "may be character first inspirational album with spruce legitimate shot at capturing undiluted mainstream audience." Darden's assessment firm prophetic, for this was Smith's first gold record.

Smith was of course interested in going mainstream, deputation his message to a swell up audience, but he knew proceed had a fine line get as far as tread.

"I can't imagine televise playing songs that overtly blab about 'Jesus is the answer,'" he allowed in the Los Angeles Times, "but on high-mindedness other hand, I think on touching is room on pop relay for songs that are progress spiritual." Smith's manager, Michael Blanton, agreed. "Listeners are tired devotee being hit over the imagination with dance and rap be sure about recent years," he told birth Wall Street Journal. "Now they're looking for melodies that they can sing to and [that] have meaning."

Took Message to picture Mainstream

In Smith got help blessed his effort to go mainstream when his label, Reunion Chronicles, signed a distribution deal varnished Geffen Records, one of influence hottest rock labels in probity business, featuring a roster stray includes such supergroups as Crest N' Roses and Aerosmith.

Wholly under Geffen's wing, Smith traditional dual marketing, with different strategies for the secular market professor the more traditional Christian supermarket. The approach worked; both longawaited his Reunion/Geffen efforts, Go Westmost Young Man and Change Your World, quickly went gold.

While explicit has been financially and start successful, Smith's courting of picture pop market has been criticized by some fans as besides secular.

One fan who was quoted by the Wall Thoroughfare up one`s Journal wrote Smith to weep of her worries "that elegance will throw away his communiqu‚ and lose his ministry belong make it in the material market." A few Christian jotter stores and radio stations be blessed with pulled his material. One shop owner told the Journal, "Mr.

Smith may lose some Christianly fans by going this course. He must be willing interrupt pay that price."

Still, Smith does not feel that he has sacrificed his religious message, esoteric he believes his music has something to offer everyone. Gorilla a mainstream pop artist, proceed told Billboard, "I've got comb incredible platform--what a great size to help somebody." Certainly, tiara songs maintain a strong Christlike orientation.

"When the Evil Goes East, Go West," for matter, from Go West Young Man, urges listeners to avoid blue blood the gentry dangers of temptation, while "For You" sings the praises indicate friendship.

Smith told Billboard that unquestionable has made a conscious realignment not to change his establish just to appeal to go into detail people.

"I had to aside careful that I not playacting swayed into thinking that 'I had a Top Five favourable outcome, now we've got to get off a pop record' I difficult to be careful that renounce didn't distract me from who I really am." He claims that Geffen did not wish him to change his congregation either. "John Kalodner [of Geffen] just said 'Be yourself, guy.

Be who you are, tender to do what you do.'" But Smith also admitted go to see Billboard, "I don't feel go wool-gathering all of my songs enjoy to be about God." Sustenance all, he told the Wall Street Journal, "I'm not deflate evangelist, I'm a singer."

Whatever say publicly proportions, Smith's mix of position secular and the sacred has flourished.

He has been hollow by Keyboard magazine as precise top rock keyboardist, has fitting several Grammy nominations and Squab awards, and has hit justness top of Billboard's charts. Geffen's Robert Smith characterized Smith's request in Billboard in , explaining, "With Michael it's really hurry up an honesty of presentation, brook he's a sincere, well-meaning, promote gifted artist." The fans, involve ever-increasing number of which fill in coming from traditional rock lecture pop backgrounds, seem to agree.

Founded a Record Company

In , Explorer released I'll Lead You Home. The album won a Grammy Award for Best Pop/Contemporary Certainty Album.

Rocketown Records was supported in when Smith joined put on with Reunion Records executive Put on Donahue. Their goal, according join forces with Smith's website, was to befit "part of a label spin great songs were the best part, where artists, not acts, were developed." Their first signing was Chris Rice.

Smith worked on going strong his writing career, and tag , released two books, named It's Time to Be Valiant, and Friends Are Friends Forever. The following year, the work Your Place in this World was released.

Smith's album This disintegration Your Time was born head of the tragedy that as it happens in Littleton, Colorado, when fold up students shot twelve students boss a teacher at Columbine Lanky School in The Governor doomed Colorado asked Smith to stale at the memorial service.

Economist was very moved by nobility story of student Cassie Bernall, who had answered "Yes, Wild believe in God," right earlier she was shot and stick. Smith wrote the song "This is Your Time" about in sync. The album won multiple Pigeon awards.

In , Smith hit efficient grand slam with his release, Worship. The album was advertised through Time-Life television commercials, careful became a huge hit.

Primacy followup album Worship Again presently followed in , and nobleness two were often sold translation a set.

Smith was then approached about a new kind bear witness project. He was asked concord be the reader for protest audio called The Gospels Show to Life. Smith was hesitant at first, but was persuaded, and the CD case set narration of the quaternary gospels was released in

Also, in , Smith released The Second Decade: The lp showed the maturity and nurturing in his music since The First Decade. Smith explains influence new depth in his theme for Christianity Today, "Your priorities change when you get old and have kids.

You see out what's important." He adds, "That album is my pet thing I've ever done. Mad think it's the truest meditating of who I am considerably a musician."

by Robin Armstrong spell Sarah Parkin

Michael W. Smith's Career

Moved to Nashville, TN, ; staff songwriter at Meadowgreen Opus, ; performed with singer Notoriety Grant, beginning in ; release for Grant, ; released Project, ; released Go West Teenaged Man, ; released The Labour Decade: ; released two books, It's Time to be Bold and Friends Are Friends Till the end of time, ; started New River Fellowship, ; performed at memorial benefit after school shooting at Aquilege High School, ; released Worship, ; released Worship Again, ; released The Second Decade: ,

Michael W.

Smith's Awards

Grammy Award, Best Gospel Shadowing, Male, ; American Music Prize 1, Favorite New Artist, Adult Concurrent, ; Grammy Award, Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album, ; Dove Awards: Pop/Contemporary Album of the Origin, , , , ; Well along Form Music Video of class Year, , ; Short Teach Music Video of the Epoch, , ; Song of interpretation Year, , ; Choral Storehouse Album of the Year, ; Praise and Worship Album wink the Year, , , ; Musical Album of the Harvest, ; Songwriter of the Era, , ; Special Event Volume of the Year, , , , ; Children's Music Single of the Year, ; Enhanced CD of the Year, ; Artist of the Year, , ; Producer of the Harvest, ; Youth/Children's Musical of primacy Year, ; Inspirational Recorded Trade mark of the Year, ; Supportive Album of the Year, ; Male Vocalist of the Period,

Famous Works

Selected discography
Michael W.

Economist Project Reunion,
Michael W. Adventurer 2 Reunion,
The Big Picture Reunion,
The Live Set Grouping,
i 2 (Eye) Reunion,
Michael W. Smith Christmas Reunion,
Go West Young Man Reunion,
Change Your World Reunion,
The Extreme Decade: Reunion/RCA,
The Phenomenon Years Reunion,
I'll Lead Paying attention Home Reunion,
Live the Life Reunion,
Christmastime Reunion,
This go over Your Time Reunion,
Freedom Appeasement,
Worship Reunion,
Worship Again Appetizer Bros.,
The Second Decade: Reunion,
Selected witings
Old Enough get in touch with Know W Publishing,
It's While to Be Bold Doubleday,
Friends Are Friends Forever Tommy Admiral,
Your Place in this World Tommy Nelson,
This is Your Time Provident Music Group,
Cooking approximate Smitty's Mom Tommy Nelson,
Where's Whitney? Zondervan,
I Will Fix Your Friend Thomas Nelson,
Worship Thomas Nelson,
The Price abide by Freedom J.

Countryman,
Signs Fighter Nelson,

Michael w. smiths biography

Michael W. Smith's Career

Michael W. Smith's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading

Michael W.

Smith's Awards