Michael W. Smith
Essentially, a musician's purpose is to entertain. To create a melody that feels good. To share a message that inspires, empathizes or tells an interesting story. In most cases, modern culture's crude definition of a musician's success correlates directly with the size of the audience he's entertained: the number of album and ticket sales, radio hits and MySpace friends.
After 20 full-length studio projects spanning 25 years, Michael W. Smith has sold more than 15 million albums and collected 33 chart-topping songs, five Platinum and 16 Gold certifications, along with multiple GRAMMYs and dozens of GMA Dove Awards. He's appeared on The Tonight Show and Good Morning America and everything in between. Most recently as a one-hour guest on CNN's Larry King Live. He's performed rock shows before capacity-filled arenas worldwide and intimate Christmas concerts for U.S. presidents in the White House.
Smitty, the entertainer, has garnered accolades that far surpass the subjective line that might typically define "success" in any musical genre. But over time, people forget entertainers. Michael W. Smith's iconic legacy is rooted in his music; however, it's how he has used his platform to serve, teach and lead offstage over the past quarter-century that has enabled him to impact culture, not simply
entertain it.
Nearly a decade into establishing himself as Contemporary Christian Music's premier solo artist - and before that, serving as pop legend Amy Grant's keyboardist - Smith became a household name in the early '90s, upon the mainstream pop radio success of his Top 10 singles: "Place In This World" (No. 4 R&R), "I Will Be Here For You" (No. 1 R&R) and "Somebody Love Me" (No. 9 R&R). Media distinctions such as being named one of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" and the American Music Awards' "Favorite New AC Artist" created more buzz around the artist at this
time period.
Keenly aware of the limelight's fickle and fleeting attention, Smith wisely invested his rise in popularity during the '90s by pursuing a role as an American fixture of faith, social justice and family values and less of a pop star. Not unlike Rev. Billy Graham in decades past, Smith's opportunities to befriend societal leaders like presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush led to becoming somewhat of a stalwart liaison to media and government in times of national peril. Following the Columbine High School tragedy in 1999, Smith was called upon by the Governor of Colorado to meet with the families and perform during the memorial service honoring the victims of the attack. He later penned his somber ballad "This Is Your Time" as a tribute and honor to those lost in the tragedy.
Two years later, George W. Bush asked Smith to write a song commemorating the 9/11 attacks. Smith took up the request and later performed the ballad ("There She Stands") at the 2004 Republican National Convention.
Smith's tremendous influence and vast talent as an artist, speaker and relationship builder has allowed him to branch out into creative and ministerial endeavors that have little or no ties to music. Along with co-pastoring and founding New River Fellowship church in his hometown of Franklin, TN., he also took a business venture in 1996 as founder and president of boutique label Rocketown Records. In 2006, Smith took a lead acting role in the Sony Pictures feature film "The Second Chance," directed by Steve Taylor.
Always the visionary, Smith's desire to share God's love and enable those in need with a fair shot at life has prompted him to take action both globally and in his back yard. In 2003, Smith's dream of opening a safe, engaging facility for young people to hang out came in to fruition upon the opening of his non-profit, all-ages Nashville club venue RCKTWN ("Rocketown"). The 40,000 sq. ft. building houses three concert stages, a coffee bar and indoor skate park in a drug and alcohol-free environment.
Smith's philanthropic efforts extend to the Eastern hemisphere, where he is active in U2 front man Bono's organization DATA (debt, AIDS, trade, Africa) and a spokesperson for Compassion International who has credited him for helping sponsor more than 60,000 children since he began working with the organization 20 years ago. In 2006, President Bush appointed Smith as vice chair of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation.
Despite the innumerable hats he wears on all parts of the globe, Smith's heart is most loyal to leading his family. Smith is the father of five children and husband to Debbie, his wife of 26 years and co-writer of arguably Smith's most widely popular song, "Friends."
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