Michael W. Smith

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Michael W. Smith

Albums
The Michael W. Smith Project (1983)
Michael W. Smith 2 (1984)
The Big Picture (1986)
i 2 (EYE) (1988)
Christmas (1989)
Go West Young Man (1990)
Change Your World (1992)
I'll Lead You Home (1995)
Live The Life (1998)
Christmastime (1998)
This Is Your Time (1999)
Freedom (2000)
Healing Rain (2004)
Stand (2006)


Live, Compilation, and EP Albums
The Live Set (1987)
The First Decade (1983-1993) (1993)
Worship (2001) · Worship Again (2002)
The Second Decade (1993-2003) (2003)

Michael Whitaker Smith (born October 7, 1957, to Paul and Barbara Smith in Kenova, West Virginia), often nicknamed "Smitty", is a Christian singer, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist.

Since his first solo project in 1983, Smith has become one of the most popular artists in the Contemporary Christian music world, while also finding considerable success in the mainstream. Smith himself is hesitant to put a label on his music and states that he "doesn't make a record for the Christian market or for the Pop market, [he] just makes a record." <ref>Change Your World Live video</ref> Smith has frequently topped both Christian radio and Billboard charts and is often listed as one of the top keyboardists in rock and roll in Keyboard Magazine. Smith has sold more than 13 million records and has had 29 #1 hit songs. By 2005, he had garnered 14 gold records and 5 platinum records, 40 Dove Awards, an American Music Award and 3 Grammy Awards. He was also named one of People magazine's most beautiful people.

By the time Smith graduated from high school, he had found himself with serious drug and alcohol abuse problems. He attended Marshall University for a brief period while developing his songwriting skills with various local bands around Huntington, West Virginia. Smith dropped out of college and moved to Nashville to pursue a professional music career. In November of 1979, he suffered an emotional and mental breakdown that awakened a re-commitment to Christianity. He cleaned up his substance abuse problem and began playing keyboards for the CCM group, Higher Ground.<ref>Christianity Today, 1988</ref>

In 1981, Smith was signed as a writer to Meadowgreen Music, where he racked up a number of highly successful gospel hits penned for artists like Sandi Patty, Kathy Troccoli, Bill Gaither, and Amy Grant. The following year, Smith began touring as a keyboardist for Grant on her Age to Age tour. He would eventually become Grant's opening act and recorded his first Grammy nominated solo album: The Michael W. Smith Project (which he also produced), in 1983, on the Reunion Records label; a label started by Grant's brother-in-law, Dan Harrell, along with Michael Blanton. This album contained the first recording of his hit Friends which he co-wrote with his wife Deborah. Incidentally, the song that is most associated with him, probably took him the least amount of time to write, as they wrote it one afternoon for a friend who was moving away, never thinking it would become the hit it has.

By the time Smith's second pop album was released in 1984, he was headlining his own tours. In 1986, Smith released the critically acclaimed rock album The Big Picture, with well known record producer Johnny Potoker (Brian Eno, Genesis, Madonna, No Doubt, Talking Heads, etc).

After the release of his 1988 effort, i 2 (EYE), Smith once again teamed up with Amy Grant for her "Lead Me On World Tour". The following year, Smith recorded his first Christmas album.

Super initamrofve writing; keep it up.

Contents

Other ventures

In 1994, Smith opened a teen club, named Rocketown, in Franklin, Tennessee. Later in early 2003, the club was moved to a new location--a renovated warehouse in downtown Nashville. The venue offers a large dance floor, extensive indoor skate park, and a cafe hosting live acoustic music. Rocketown is located on 401 6th Ave. S. Quoting a Christian Activities article, Rocketown's mission is to create culturally relevant environments that foster vital relationships between disenfranchised adolescents and Christian mentors in order to meet their physical, social, and spiritual needs.

Smith is actively involved in volunteer service and is vice chair of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, which is chaired by Jean Case of the Case Foundation.

Smith finished work on a film directed by Steve Taylor entitled The Second Chance which was released on February 17, 2006 in selected theatres. In the movie, he stars as a pastor assigned to work in the inner city. The film also stars Jeff Obafemi Carr, and features a soundtrack now available from Reunion Records. The DVD of the movie was released on July 18, 2006.

Discography

Albums

Album Cover Title Release Date The Billboard 200
Chart Position
RIAA Certification CRIA Certification
Canada
The Michael W. Smith Project 1983 - Gold
Michael W. Smith 2 1984 -
The Big Picture Feb. 1, 1986 -
The Live Set Mar. 1, 1987 -
i 2 (EYE) 1988 - Gold
Christmas June 1989 -
Go West Young Man 1990 74 Platinum
Change Your World Jan. 1, 1992 86 Platinum
The First Decade (1983-1993) Oct. 12, 1993 -
I'll Lead You Home Aug. 29, 1995 16 Platinum
Live the Life Apr. 28, 1998 23 Gold
Christmastime Oct. 13, 1998 90
This Is Your Time Nov. 23, 1999 21 Gold
Freedom Nov. 21, 2000 70
Worship Sep. 11, 2001 20 Platinum Gold
Worship Again Oct. 22, 2002 14 Gold
The Second Decade (1993-2003) Oct. 7, 2003 38
Healing Rain Oct. 26, 2004 11 Gold
Stand Nov 7. 2006 -

Imports

Album Release
Year
The Billboard 200
Chart Position
RIAA Certification
Live the Life (w/bonus tracks - Japanese Import) 1998 - -
Freedom 2000 - -

Collaborative Albums

Album Release
Year
The Billboard 200
Chart Position
RIAA Certification
Our Hymns 1991 - -
My Utmost for His Highest 1995 - -
My Utmost for His Highest: The Covenant 1996 - -
Emmanuel 1996 - -
Tribute: The Songs Of Andrae' Crouch 1996 - -
The Jesus Record 1997 - -
Exodus 1999 - -
The McCaughey Septuplets: Sweet Dreams 2000 - -
Your Love Broke Through: The Worship Songs of Keith Green 2002 - -
Roaring Lambs 2005 - -
Ultimate Music Makeover: The Songs of Michael W. Smith 2005 - -

Singles/Specialty/EP's

Album Release
Year
The Billboard 200
Chart Position
RIAA Certification
Live The Life (Remix EP) 1997 - -
The Acoustic Set: A Live Recording 2000 - -
Devotions 2001 - -

Singles

Year Title Chart positions
Billboard Adult Contemporary Billboard Hot 100
1991 "Place In This World" 5 6
1991 "For You" 20 60
1992 "I Will Be Here For You" 1 27
1993 "Somebody Love Me" 10 71
1998 "Love Me Good" - 61
1999 "This Is Your Time" 25 -
2005 "Bridge Over Troubled Water" 28 -

Video (DVD/VHS)

  • Live in Concert – A 20 Year Celebration (DVD) (2003)
  • Worship (DVD) (2002) CRIA Gold in Canada
  • Change Your World Live (VHS) (1993)
  • The Big Picture Tour (VHS) (1987)
  • Michael W. Smith In Concert (VHS) (1985)

Soundtrack (CD)

  • The Second Chance (CD) (2006)

Motion picture (DVD)

  • Joshua (DVD) (2002)
  • [1] The Second Chance (DVD) (2006)

Notes

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External links

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