Personal
Name: Michael Whitaker Smith
Born: October 7, 1957 in Kenova, West Virginia
Married: to Debbie (formerly Deborah Kay Davis) on September 5, 1981
Children: Ryan, Whitney, Tyler, Anna, Emily
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Career Statistics
Grammy Awards: 3
Grammy Nominations: 13
Dove Awards: 36
Number One Songs: 31
Albums: 24
Double Platinum Albums: 1
Platinum Albums: 6
Gold Albums: 16
Albums Sold: 17,290,000+
Background
Michael Whitaker Smith was born October 7, 1957, to Paul and Barbara Smith, in Kenova, West Virginia. His father was an oil refinery worker and his mother was a caterer and church secretary. He has one sister, Kim.
As a child, Michael was active in church activities, baseball, and playing piano, writing his first song when he was five. When he was ten years old, he made the decision to give his life to Christ. An early dream was to play professional baseball. During his teens he was surrounded with a solid support group of fellow believers who frequently gathered to play music. After graduating from high school, the group split up.
Michael attended a semester of college at Marshall University in West Virginia but dropped out and moved to Nashville with the hopes of a career in music. He played with local bands. Unable to get a record deal, Smith experimented with drugs and alcohol for a short time before reclaiming his direction and renewing his faith in October, 1979.
He started performing with a Christian group called Higher Ground, playing keyboards. While he was playing with Higher Ground, he signed his first songwriting contract with Paragon/Benson Publishing Company. The sixteen-hour days writing music was a labor of love for Michael.
It was during this time in 1981 that Smith met his wife, Debbie. Quoting from his book, It’s Time to be Bold:
“…one afternoon while I was working in my office, Deborah Kay Davis walked by. I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. When she passed by, it was all over for me. I was blown away. Totally head over heels in love. I frantically picked up the phone and called my mother in West Virginia. ‘Mom, I can’t believe it. You’re not going to believe this, Mom. I just saw the girl I’m going to marry.’ ‘What’s her name?’ ‘I don’t know, Mom. I haven’t met her yet. But I gotta go. I’ll find out and call you back.’ My poor mother! She must have thought I’d lost my mind. But I’d never been so clearheaded in my life. I left my office and went searching for this girl in the warehouse. Sherlock Holmes couldn’t have done a better job of tracking her down, and eventually I found myself standing outside the ladies’ restroom, waiting for her to emerge. She walked out. I introduced myself. We were engaged three and a half weeks later - and married four months after that!”
Michael’s next break came soon after he was asked to play keyboard in a young Amy Grant’s band. He began touring and Amy’s managers, Mike Blanton and Dan Harrell, saw a wealth of potential in Michael (and another young new talent, Kathy Troccoli), but they were unsuccessful in finding a record company to sign them. One door closing is an opportunity for another door opening, and as a result, they started Reunion Records. In 1983, Michael released his first album, The Michael W. Smith Project. Debbie, Michael’s wife, wrote the lyrics for Project. This debut album was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Gospel Performance. Michael’s trademark song, Friends, debuted on this first album.
Michael was elevated to Amy’s opening act and he continued to tour with her.
In 1984, Michael released his second album, Michael W. Smith 2. The next several years saw Michael releasing several more albums and two concert videos, Michael W. Smith Live In Concert and The Big Picture Tour. The style of music was being directed more toward a younger audience with more of a rock-oriented style. Some of the songs were secular in nature and enabled Smith to break into the mainstream music arena.
In 1991, Reunion Records allowed Geffen Records to distribute his albums, hoping to make in-roads into the mainstream pop audiences. There was some controversy from a segment of fans that felt he was selling out to the secular market. But Smith’s motivation was to get his message out to a wider audience and to help young people who he saw struggling with many important issues.
Throughout the 1990’s more albums were released in addition to another concert video, Change Your World Live, music video singles, and the release of several books.
In 1992, Michael received an honorary Doctorate of Music degree from Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia.
In 1994, Michael founded Rocketown, a club for teenagers, in a warehouse in Brentwood, Tennessee. The club provided a place for teens to gather in a safe, positive, and encouraging environment. The club closed after a few years. The new Rocketown club, a renovated 38,000 square foot warehouse in downtown Nashville, opened in early 2003.
In 1996, Michael, along with Reunion Records executive Don Donahue, founded Rocketown Records. Their initial artist was Chris Rice and over the years their artist roster has included Ginny Owens, Shaun Groves, Wayne Kirkpatrick, and Watermark.
In 1999, Michael was invited to sing at the Columbine Memorial service in Littleton, Colorado. The Columbine High School shootings inspired his album This Is Your Time which is based on the story of Cassie Bernall. In Michael’s own words:
“I went to Littleton (Colorado) to sing Friends at the Columbine Memorial Service and it was a day that impacted me greatly. It was so over-whelming emotionally, that I just had to find a way to cope with it and to digest it all, so I found myself at the keyboard writing music. Meeting Cassie Bernall’s family inspired me the most. Cassie claimed she believed in God and lost her life for it. I have written a song called This Is Your Time which is a challenge for us all to recognize through Cassie’s life, that now is our time to stand up and live life unabashedly for God.”
Also in 1999, Michael and wife Debbie were instrumental in starting New River Fellowship Church. Michael’s Pastor and mentor, Don Finto, helped to provide the new church’s leadership.
In 2000, Michael releases the Freedom album. This instrumental album, recorded in Ireland with the Irish Film Orchestra, included classic piano arrangements.
In 2001, Michael rode the worship wave and created his Worship album, a highly successful and well-received work. A sequel album, Worship Again, and Worship-The Video were released the following year.
In 2002, Michael produced the soundtrack for the motion picture Joshua. Michael’s updated website, Friends Online, was also launched in the fall of 2002.
In 2003, Michael expands his realm of accomplishments by narrating The Gospels Come to Life, which is an audio book featuring the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Also included during the reading is a Smith-inspired musical background scored by Michael Omartian.
Throughout his 20+ year career, Michael has had the opportunity to sing for Presidents, national leaders, community gatherings, memorials, the Billy Graham Crusades, and on national and international television...and his work is not yet done.
Discography
2012 Decades of Worship
2011 Glory
2010 Wonder
2008 A New Hallelujah
2007 It’s A Wonderful Christmas
2006 Stand
2004 Healing Rain
2004 Worship Box Set
2003 The Second Decade
2003 The Second Decade Limited Edition
2002 Worship Again
2001 Worship
2001 Devotions
2000 Freedom
2000 The Acoustic Set
1999 This Is Your Time
1998 Christmastime
1998 Love Me Good Maxi-Single
1998 Live the Life
1997 Live the Life Maxi-Single
1995 I’ll Lead You Home
1993 The Wonder Years 1983-1993
1993 First Decade
1992 Change Your World
1990 Go West Young Man
1989 Michael W. Smith Christmas
1988 I 2 Eye
1987 The Live Set
1986 The Big Picture
1984 Michael W. Smith 2
1983 Michael W. Smith Project
Grammy Awards
2004 Worship Again (Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album)
1995 I’ll Lead You Home (Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album)
1984 Michael W. Smith 2 (Best Gospel Performance Male)
Grammy Nominations
2007 Stand (Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album)
2005 Healing Rain (Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album)
2003 Worship Again (Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album)
2002 Worship (Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album)
2000 This Is Your Time (Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album)
1998 Live The Life (Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album)
1990 Go West Young Man (Best Pop Gospel Album)
1989 Holy, Holy, Holy (Best Gospel Vocal Performance Male)(Track from Our Hymns, Word Gospel)
1988 i2(Eye) (Best Gospel Performance Male)
1986 The Big Picture (Best Gospel Performance Male)
1983 Michael W. Smith Project (Best Gospel Performance Male)
Double Platinum Albums
Worship
Platinum Albums
Worship Again
Worship
Worship - The Video
I’ll Lead You Home
Change Your World
Go West Young Man
Gold Albums
Christmas
Freedom
Healing Rain
Live In Concert: A 20 Year Celebration
Worship - The Video
Worship Again
Worship
Christmastime
This Is Your Time
Live The Life
I’ll Lead You Home
Change Your World
The First Decade
Go West Young Man
I 2 (EYE)
Michael W. Smith Project
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