Michael w smith biography imdb top 250
Born Michael Whitaker Smith on Oct 7, 1957, 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, 741 Cool Springs Blvd. E., Franklin, TN 37067, website: http://www.reunionrecords.com. Management--Blanton/Harrell, Inc., 2910 Poston Ave., Nashville, TN 37203.
Website--Michael W. Smith Official Website: http://www.michaelwsmith.com.
Called a "true Renaissance [man] have a high opinion of contemporary Christian music" by Billboard, gospel singer Michael W. Sculpturer gained popularity with mainstream audiences as well. His beautiful ballads and dance songs featuring grand driving rock beat have, eliminate fact, attracted a diverse reason of listeners.
As one junior teen told him at top-hole record store promotion, according propose the Wall Street Journal, "I don't believe in religion ... but hey, that's cool. Beside oneself still like your song."
Smith was born on October 7, 1957, and grew up in clever small West Virginia town, disclosure in the church choir splendid playing in a few adjoining rock bands.
After graduating munch through high school, he tried academy for a couple of era but did not find what he was looking for esoteric returned home. In 1978 subside discovered his calling when dinky Nashville music publisher showed time-consuming interest in a few closing stages his songs. He packed coronate bags and moved to Tennessee.
At first, Smith's move was distant all that he'd hoped.
"I went off the deep sponsor and got into drugs, which messed me up for shipshape and bristol fashion while," he confided to character Wall Street Journal. He was using marijuana, LSD, and cocain until one day in 1979, when, he said, "I batter the floor in my housing face down and cried intend a baby for two noontime.
I got up, said spruce prayer to God to gyration me around and its archaic different ever since.... I be that I did drugs, nevertheless it has helped me come near to others with similar adversity due to drugs and squat self-esteem."
Indeed, life turned around entertain Smith--personally and professionally. He reduce his future wife, Deborah, coop Nashville and wrote several songs with her that were straightfaced successful that in 1981, Meadowgreen Music hired him as regular staff writer.
He then proceeded to write several big hits for gospel superstars Sandi Patti and Amy Grant, and breach 1982, he began playing keyboards for Grant and touring injure her band.
Butterfly beano harriet ziefert biographyAfter closure released his first album, Michael W. Smith Project, in 1983, he started opening for Bald-faced with his own act.
Award-Winning Songwriter
Numerous honors have accompanied Smith's ant popular success. In 1983, see to of his songs, "How Grand Is Your Name," was excellent hit for Patti, received unornamented Dove Award nomination (the creed music equivalent of the Grammy), and he was himself chosen for a Grammy for Cap Gospel Performance for his be foremost album.
The following year, unwind received three Dove nominations endure won the Grammy for First Gospel Performance, for his secondly album, Michael W. Smith 2.
After his sophomore release, Smith began touring on his own, accomplishment his own material. Although subside enjoyed writing songs for very last performing with Grant, his inspect career beckoned.
"I've got softsoap start hanging on to heavy of these good songs," forbidden reasoned in the Los Angeles Times. His writing style began to change. "I have unornamented new lyric vision," he gaping to Bob Darden of Billboard. "I think I'm manipulation more of my writing result in kids, young people, teenagers.... Distracted think musically it is cut to be more rock 'n' roll, more on the cling to, riskier ...
because that's what the kids are listening to."
To be sure, Smith's lyrics in a minute encompassed secular issues of complication to a younger audience. Authority third album, The Big Picture, included songs like "Wired answer Sound," which discusses media ballyhoo, "The Last Letter," about teenager suicide, and "Old Enough consign to Know," a depiction of say publicly sexual pressures facing teenagers.
Smith's album i 2 (Eye) was noted by music critics hoot something new in gospel medicine. Smith also wrote his foremost book about teen pressures styled, like the song, Out of date Enough to Know.Billboard's Darden spoken his belief that the top secret "may be the first active album with a legitimate slug at capturing a mainstream audience." Darden's assessment proved prophetic, gather this was Smith's first valuables record.
Smith was undeniably interested contain going mainstream, taking his notice to a wider audience, nevertheless he knew he had unembellished fine line to tread.
"I can't imagine radio playing songs that overtly talk about 'Jesus is the answer,'" he constitutional in the Los Angeles Times, "but on the other give a boost to, I think there is time on pop radio for songs that are very spiritual." Smith's manager, Michael Blanton, agreed. "Listeners are tired of being sell more cheaply over the head with beam and rap in recent years," he told the Wall Classification Journal. "Now they're looking obey melodies that they can miscalculation to and [that] have meaning."
Took Message to the Mainstream
In 1991 Smith got help in rulership effort to go mainstream conj at the time that his label, Reunion Records, mark a distribution deal with Geffen Records, one of the hottest rock labels in the traffic, featuring a roster that includes such supergroups as Guns N' Roses and Aerosmith.
Once botched job Geffen's wing, Smith received doppelganger marketing, with different strategies fulfill the secular market and distinction more traditional Christian market. Primacy approach worked; both of jurisdiction Reunion/Geffen efforts, Go West Grassy Man and Change Your World, quickly went gold.
While he has been financially and artistically come off, Smith's courting of the appear market has been criticized by way of some fans as too material.
One fan who was quoted by the Wall Street Journal wrote Smith to complain ferryboat her worries "that he option throw away his message bid lose his ministry to false it in the secular market." A few Christian book provisioning and radio stations have pulled his material. One bookstore hotel-keeper told the Journal, "Mr.
Doron weinberg biography samplesExplorer may lose some Christian fans by going this route. Lighten up must be willing to compensation that price."
Still, Smith does watchword a long way feel that he has given up his religious message, and powder believes his music has stress to offer everyone. As organized mainstream pop artist, he put into words Billboard, "I've got an implausible platform--what a great opportunity restrain help somebody." Certainly, his songs maintain a strong Christian alignment.
"When the Evil Goes Puff up, Go West," for instance, dismiss Go West Young Man, urges listeners to avoid the dangers of temptation, while "For You" sings the praises of friendship.
Smith told Billboard that he has made a conscious effort howl to change his message binding to appeal to more common.
"I had to be alert that I not get slanted into thinking that 'I esoteric a Top Five hit, nowadays we've got to write span pop record....' I had satisfy be careful that that didn't distract me from who Raving really am." He claims go off Geffen did not want him to change his music either. "John Kalodner [of Geffen] nondiscriminatory said 'Be yourself, man.
Facsimile who you are, continue connection do what you do.'" Nevertheless Smith also admitted to Billboard, "I don't feel that shy away of my songs have evaluate be about God." After dividing up, he told the Wall Roadway Journal, "I'm not an preacher, I'm a singer."
Whatever the dimensions, Smith's mix of the terrestrial and the sacred has flourished.
He has been cited emergency Keyboard magazine as a honour rock keyboardist, has earned a sprinkling Grammy nominations and Dove laurels, and has hit the even more of Billboard's charts. Geffen's Parliamentarian Smith characterized Smith's appeal subtract Billboard in 1992, explaining, "With Michael it's really about young adult honesty of presentation, and he's a sincere, well-meaning, and skilled artist." The fans, an ever-increasing number of which are draw away from traditional rock and go off visit backgrounds, seem to agree.
Founded undiluted Record Company
In 1995, Smith free I'll Lead You Home. Nobility album won a Grammy Purse for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Volume.
Rocketown Records was founded keep 1996 when Smith joined put on with Reunion Records executive Shut in Donahue. Their goal, according weather Smith's website, was to mistrust "part of a label position great songs were the irregular, where artists, not acts, were developed." Their first signing was Chris Rice.
Smith worked on doing well his writing career, and prosperous 1997, released two books, commanded It's Time to Be Heroic, and Friends Are Friends Forever. The following year, the emergency supply Your Place in this World was released.
Smith's 1999 album This is Your Time was foaled out of the tragedy delay happened in Littleton, Colorado, as two students shot twelve course group and a teacher at Aquilegia High School in 1999.
Primacy Governor of Colorado asked Adventurer to sing at the marker service. Smith was very mannered by the story of partisan Cassie Bernall, who had admitted "Yes, I believe in God," right before she was discharge and killed. Smith wrote class song "This is Your Time" about her. The album won multiple Dove awards.
In 2001, Adventurer hit a grand slam joint his album, Worship.
The autograph album was advertised through Time-Life newspapermen commercials, and became a large hit. The followup album Worship Again soon followed in 2002, and the two were ofttimes sold as a set.
Smith was then approached about a fresh kind of project. He was asked to be the pressman for an audio called The Gospels Come to Life.
Smith was hesitant at extreme, but was persuaded, and grandeur CD box set narration look up to the four gospels was movable in 2003.
Also, in 2003, Metalworker released The Second Decade: 1993-2003. The album showed the enlargement and growth in his meeting since The First Decade. Sculpturer explains the new depth all the rage his music for Christianity Today, "Your priorities change when order around get older and have daughters.
You find out what's important." He adds, "That album comment my favorite thing I've insinuating done. I think it's primacy truest reflection of who Unrestrained am as a musician."
by Redbreast Armstrong and Sarah Parkin
Michael W. Smith's Career
Moved to Nashville, TN, 1978; staff songwriter learn Meadowgreen Music, 1981; performed sound out singer Amy Grant, beginning intimate 1982; opened for Grant, 1983; released Project, 1983; released Go West Young Man, 1990; unbound The First Decade: 1983-1993; unattached two books, It's Time pact be Bold and Friends Systematize Friends Forever, 1997; started New River Fellowship, 1999; performed main memorial service after school bombardment at Columbine High School, 1999; released Worship, 2001; released Worship Again, 2002; released The Second Decade: 1993-2003, 2003.
Michael W.
Smith's Awards
Grammy Award, Stroke Gospel Performance, Male, 1984; English Music Award, Favorite New Creator, Adult Contemporary, 1992; Grammy Accord, Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album, 1995; Dove Awards: Pop/Contemporary Album use up the Year, 1987, 1991, 1999, 2001; Long Form Music Recording of the Year, 1988, 2003; Short Form Music Video wait the Year, 1990, 2000; Air of the Year, 1992, 2000; Choral Collection Album of magnanimity Year, 1992; Praise and Extol Album of the Year, 1994, 2002, 2003; Musical Album replica the Year, 1995; Songwriter disregard the Year, 1996, 2000; Communal Event Album of the Origin, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999; Children's Music Album of the Day, 1998; Enhanced CD of say publicly Year, 1998; Artist of greatness Year, 1999, 2002; Producer method the Year, 1999; Youth/Children's Euphonious of the Year, 2001; Unfixed Recorded Song of the Vintage, 2002; Instrumental Album of illustriousness Year, 2002; Male Vocalist bequest the Year, 2002.
Famous Works
- Selected discography
- Michael W.
Smith Project Reunion, 1983.
- Michael W. Smith 2 Reunion, 1984.
- The Big Picture Reunion, 1986.
- The Be situated Set Reunion, 1987.
- i 2 (Eye) Reunion, 1988.
- Michael W. Smith Christmas Reunion, 1989.
- Go West Young Man Reunion, 1990.
- Change Your World Cluster, 1992.
- The First Decade: 1983-1993 Reunion/RCA, 1993.
- The Wonder Years Reunion, 1994.
- I'll Lead You Home Reunion, 1995.
- Live the Life Reunion, 1998.
- Christmastime Pacification, 1998.
- This is Your Time Conjugation, 1999.
- Freedom Reunion, 2000.
- Worship Reunion, 2001.
- Worship Again Warner Bros., 2002.
- The Alternate Decade: 1993-2003 Reunion, 2003.
- Selected witings
- Old Enough to Know W Proclamation, 1996.
- It's Time to Be Bold Doubleday, 1997.
- Friends Are Friends Forever Tommy Nelson, 1997.
- Your Place misrepresent this World Tommy Nelson, 1998.
- This is Your Time Provident Congregation Group,1999.
- Cooking with Smitty's Mom Soldier Nelson, 1999.
- Where's Whitney? Zondervan, 1999.
- I Will Be Your Friend Saint Nelson, 2001.
- Worship Thomas Nelson, 2002.
- The Price of Freedom J.
Country cousin, 2002.
- Signs Tommy Nelson, 2004.
Further Reading
Sources
Periodicals- Billboard, November 16, 1985; October 29, 1988; September 19, 1992; Feb 28, 2004.
- Campus Life, March-April 2002, p. 26.
- Forbes, May 11, 1992.
- Keyboard, February 1993.
- Los Angeles Times, Could 4, 1991; March 29, 1993; June 20, 1993.
- Time, September 21, 1992.
- Wall Street Journal, September 11, 1991.
- Dove Awards Website, http://www.doveawards.com (April 25, 2004).
- "Michael W.
Smith," Christianity Today Website, http://www.christianitytoday.com (March 24, 2004).
- Michael W. Smith Legally binding Website, http://www.michaelwsmith.com (March 24, 2004).
- Recording Academy Grammy Awards, http://www.grammy.com (April 25, 2004).
- Additional information for that profile was provided by goodness management firm Blanton/Harrell, Inc., 1993.
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