Connie Smith
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Connie Smith | ||
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 Connie Smith publicity photo
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Constance June Meador | |
| Also known as | Connie Smith | |
| Born |  August 14, 1941 (age 65) |
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| Origin | Elkhart, Indiana | |
| Genre(s) | Country, Gospel | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Songwriter | |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals | |
| Years active | 1964–Present | |
| Label(s) | RCA Records Monument Records Epic Records Warner Bros. Records |
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| Associated acts |
Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Marty Stuart | |
Connie Smith (born Constance June Meador 14 August 1941, in Elkhart, Indiana) is an American Country Music Singer, best known for her 1964 hit song "Once a Day". After her 1964 hit song, she continued to have great success on the Country music charts. She was one of the most popular female Country singers of the 1960s, along with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. She is often hailed by music critics as one of the finest voices in Country Music.
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[edit] Early Life & Rise to Fame
Connie Smith has been credited by many music critics as having one of the finest voices in Country Music. She is very much identified and compared to Patsy Cline. This is probably because, Smith only came out of the music business one year after Cline died in a plane crash in 1963 and also because she achieved the immediate success she had with her hit "Once a Day" that Cline had with her 1961 hit "I Fall to Pieces". Much of music that Smith recorded over the years, came straight from the heart, according to Smith This meant she put much emotion into her material she sang.
Connie Smith was born Constance June Meador in 1941 in Elkhart, Indiana. Although she was born out in Indiana, she spent much of her early years in West Virginia and later in Ohio. As a child, Smith's father was abusive to her, which caused Smith to have a mental breakdown as a teenager. In West Virginia, she began to start singing locally. She was soon married and became a housewife and had children. By the early 1960s, Smith had already become a married woman with a four-month old son, living in Marietta, Ohio. During this time, Smith started singing locally again and appeared on local TV shows around her hometwon area. While singing near Columbus, Ohio in August 1963, she was discovered by Country singer Bill Anderson after winning a talent show contest. He recognized Smith's talents and offered his help into getting Smith a recording contract, Smith accepted his offer. A few months later, she was signed onto RCA Records, where she worked with legendary RCA producer Chet Atkins.
[edit] Recording Career In the 60s & 70s
Here at RCA, Bill wrote a song especially for Connie, which he called "Once a Day". The song was then released in late 1964 and became an immediate #1 hit for her. "Once a Day" became the most successful debut single by a female Country artist, spending 8 weeks at #1. "Once a Day" became one of the biggest songs of the year and made Connie Smith a household name in the Country Music business. Though it was a brief stay, overnight she became a 1960s country music queen on a level with the biggest female names in the business: Kitty Wells, Loretta Lynn, Skeeter Davis, and Jean Shepard (Patsy Cline had died the previous year). She was becoming famous around the right time, just when female Country singers were beginning to assert themselves into the male-dominated Country Music field. Connie's follow-up "Then and Only Then" was a Top 5 Country hit and the flip side of the single ("Tiny Blue Transistor Radio") made the Top 25 in 1965. Connie Smith soon became one of the most successful Country Music artists of the 1960s, outselling albums and concert tickets. Her success continued more into 1965 with two more Top Ten hits called "I Can't Remember" and "If I Talk to Him". Her 1966 album Miss Smith Goes to Nashville was one of her most successful albums. Her 1966 single "Ain't Had No Lovin'" just missed topping the Country charts. Although Connie Smith continued to remain successful on the Country charts, she never achieved another #1 Billboard hit.
Her success as a Country Music artist, kept on coming for the rest of the 60s, with other hits like "The Hurtin's All Over" and "Cincinnati, Ohio". Smith's recordings through much of the 60s, were Nashville Sound recordings, that had much orchestral arrangements in the background. Violins can be heard in the background of Smith's 1966 hit "Ain't Had No Lovin'". In 1968 she recorded "Cry Cry Cry" which was not the same song as the 1954 Johnny Cash hit. (The song was written by Shirley Wood). She did a cover version of Marty Robbins number 1 hit from 1965 "Ribbon Of Darkness" in 1969. That same year (1969), she made a duet album with Nat Stuckey called Young Love. A single by the same name was released also called "Young Love", which was originally a hit for Sonny James in 1956. Their version was a Top 20 hit. Connie and Nat also did a Gospel album in 1970 called Sunday Morning With Connie And Nat which was re-released in 2001 under the title God Will. She appeared regularly in concerts and in films and also appeared on the Lawrence Welk Show, along with Lynn Anderson in the late 60s. However the pressure of the music business was beginning to take a toll on the legendary singer. The pressure of all of this brought Smith to edge of suicide in 1968. However, it was her Christian faith that saved the singer. However, by the 1970s, Smith was already settled, balancing time between chart success and family life. She even recorded several Gospel albums, like Connie Smith Sings Hank Williams Gospel and God Is Abundant. She even included one or two Gospel songs on her Country albums as well. Her hits in the 1970s were not as big however as her hits in the 60s.
In 1971, she recorded her biggest hit of the 70s called "Just One Time", which again, just missed topping the Billboard Country Music charts. She still managed to record Top Ten Country hits in the 1970s, like "I Never Once Stopped Loving You", "Just For What I Am", "If It Ain't Love (Let's Leave It Alone)", "Love Is The Look You're Looking For", and "Ain't Love A Good Thing". Her last Top Ten hit came in 1976 with "Til' I Kissed You". However, she still managed to score Top Twenty hits up until 1978, like "I've Got My Baby Off My Mind", "I Never Knew What That Song Meant Before", "Why Don't You Love Me", "I Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore", and "I Just Want To Be Your Everything". Although, Connie was still remaining successful on the Country charts during this time, her popularity was slowly declining.
Her 1978 single "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" was Smith's last significant hit on the Country Music charts, making it to #14. As for her other singles released between 1978-1979, they failed to become hits, like "Smooth Sailin'" and "Ten Thousand and One". These singles probably didn't chart very high because they were more twangy, while Country Music in the 1970s and 80s formed into what people called it Country Pop or Countrypolitan. This new form of Country Music was more Pop-sounding and most Country singers from this era also sounded more Pop. These singers had their songs crossover from the Country charts into to the Pop charts and becoming hits on both sides. This left older more traditional Country singers' careers, like Smith's fade away.
Smith was nominated three times for the Country Music Association "Female Vocalist of the Year" award and earned 10 various Grammy nominations but regrettably has yet to earn either award. Smith has also occasionally dabbled in songwriting, penning over 30 songs and earning a BMI award for her hit "I'll Come Running", which she recorded back in 1967. Another Smith-penned hit "You've Got Me Right Where You Want Me" was later recorded by Reba McEntire.
[edit] Later Career & Life Today
Smith remained at the top of the country field into the 1970s, switching to the Columbia label in 1973. She moved on to Monument Records in 1977 with less chart success and decided in 1980 to go into semi-retirement to spend more time with her children, singing only gospel songs in her appearances at the Grand Ole Opry. Renowned in the country music industry for her strong religious convictions, she has recorded Gospel music throughout her career; nevertheless, her personal life has seen its ups and downs, including three unsuccessful marriages. She returned briefly to the Country Music charts under Epic Records in 1985, with her last charting single "A Far Cry From You". She didn't make any albums in the 1980s for the part and focused on spending time with her family as well as raising her children.
Although Connie Smith tried as much as possible to keep away from the Country spotlight, she continued to record albums through much of the 1990s. In 1992, she released her first album in many years called The Wayward Wind. The following year, Smith did a live album entitled Live In Branson, Missouri, USA. Many well-known Country singers have performed in Branson, Missouri, including Lynn Anderson and Crystal Gayle. Since 1997 she has been married to Marty Stuart, a country star 17 years her junior. This year will be their ten-year anniversary. Stuart produced Smith's 1998 comeback album on the Warner Bros. Records label, simply entitled Connie Smith. The duo frequently tour together and both remain popular acts on the Opry. In fact, Opry audiences still wildly applaud Smith when she takes the stage or sings one of her signature hits. In 2003, Connie Smith released a Christian album with Barbara Fairchild and Sharon White (from the Country group The Whites) entitled Love Never Fails. In 2003, Smith and her husband Marty Stuart attended the funeral of June Carter Cash. Most recently Country singer Martina McBride recorded a cover version of Smith's signature tune "Once a Day" and was put in her 2005 album, Timeless. Today, Connie Smith continues to be a regular member of the Grand Ole Opry and continues to perform with her husband.
[edit] Trivia
- Opry announcer Eddie Stubbs often introduces Smith to audiences at The Grand Ole Opry as "The Rolls Royce of Country Music".
- The CMT Channel named Connie Smith the #9 Female Artist of Country Music on its 2001 program "The 40 Greatest Women of Country Music." Mother Maybelle Carter was #8, #10 was Trisha Yearwood and #1 was Patsy Cline.
- George Jones credits Smith as his favorite female Country Music singer in his book "I Lived To Tell It All".
- She has 5 children and 5 grandchildren.
- Dolly Parton once said "There’s only three real female singers: Barbra Streisand, Linda Ronstadt and Connie Smith. The rest of us are only pretending."
- Connie and Marty actually met back in the 60's when as a kid he went to see her in concert. On the way home he reportedly told his mother "One day I'll marry her!" Many years later, he did!
- Jeffrey Walker the bass guitarist and singer, best known for his work with the death metal/grindcore band Carcass. Recently, recorded a solo album - Welcome to Carcass Cuntry - which was released on 9th May 2006 on Fractured Transmitter Records. The album consists of a cover of "Once a Day".
- Mike Ness, lead guitarist and singer for Social Distortion, covered "Once a Day" on his 1999 solo album Under the Influences.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | U.S. Country Singles | Album | |
| 1964 | "Once a Day" | #1 (8 weeks) | Connie Smith | |
| 1965 | "Tiny Blue Transistor Radio" | #25 | Connie Smith | |
| 1965 | "Then and Only Then" | #4 | Connie Smith | |
| 1965 | "I Can't Remember" | #9 | Cute 'n' Country | |
| 1965 | "If I Talk to Him" | #4 | Miss Smith Goes to Nashville | |
| 1966 | "Nobody But a Fool (Would Love You)" | #4 | Miss Smith Goes to Nashville | |
| 1966 | "Ain't Had No Lovin'" | #2 | Born to Sing | |
| 1966 | "The Hurtin's All Over" | #3 | Downtown Country | |
| 1967 | "Burning a Hole In My Mind" | #5 | I Love Charlie Brown | |
| 1967 | "Cincinnati, Ohio" | #4 | Connie Smith Sings Bill Anderson | |
| 1967 | "I'll Come Runnin'" | #10 | Greatest Hits Vol. 1 | |
| 1968 | "Baby's Back Again" | #7 | I Love Charlie Brown | |
| 1968 | "Run Away Little Tears" | #10 | I Love Charlie Brown | |
| 1968 | "Cry, Cry, Cry" | #20 | Connie in the Country | |
| 1969 | "Ribbon of Darkness" | #13 | Connie's Country | |
| 1969 | "Young Love" (with Nat Stuckey) | #20 | Young Love | |
| 1969 | "You and Your Sweet Love" | #6 | I Never Once Stopped Loving You | |
| 1970 | "I Never Once Stopped Loving You" | #5 | I Never Once Stopped Loving You | |
| 1970 | "Lousiana Man" | #14 | I Never Once Stopped Loving You | |
| 1971 | "Just One Time" | #2 | Just One Time | |
| 1971 | "Where is My Castle" | #11 | Where Is My Castle | |
| 1972 | "If It Ain't Love (Let's Leave It Alone)" | #7 | If it Ain't Love (And Other Great Dallas Frazier Songs) | |
| 1972 | "Just For What I Am" | #5 | Ain't We Havin' Us a Good Time | |
| 1973 | "Love is the Look You're Looking For" | #8 | Love Is the Look You're Looking For | |
| 1973 | "You've Got Me (Right Where You Want Me)" | #21 | A Lady Named Smith | |
| 1974 | "Ain't Love a Good Thing" | #10 | That's the Way Love Goes | |
| 1974 | "I Never Knew (What That Song Meant Before)" | #13 | I Never Knew (What That Song Meant Before) | |
| 1975 | "The Song We Fell In Love To" | #29 | The Song We Fell In Love To | |
| 1975 | "I've Got a Lot of Hurtin' Done Today" | #30 | I've Got A Lot Of Hurtin' Done Today | |
| 1975 | "I've Got My Baby Off My Mind" | #13 | I Never Knew (What That Song Meant Before) | |
| 1975 | "Why Don't You Love Me" | #15 | I've Got A Lot Of Hurtin' Done Today | |
| 1976 | "Til' I Kissed You" | #10 | The Song We Fell In Love To | |
| 1976 | "I Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore" | #13 | I Don't Want to Talk It Over Anymore | |
| 1976 | "So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)" | #31 | I Don't Want to Talk It Over Anymore | |
| 1977 | "Coming Around" | #58 | Pure Connie Smith | |
| 1978 | "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" | #14 | New Horizons | |
| 1978 | "Lovin' You Baby" | #34 | New Horizons | |
| 1978 | "Smooth Sailin' | #68 | New Horizons | |
| 1978 | "There'll Never Be Another For Me" | #68 | New Horizons | |
| 1979 | "Lovin' You Lovin' Me" | #88 | Greatest Hits on Monument | |
| 1979 | "Ten Thousand And One" | #88 | Greatest Hits on Monument | |
| 1979 | "Don't Say Love" | #93 | Greatest Hits on Monument | |
| 1985 | "A Far Cry From You" | #71 | (Single Only) |
[edit] Selected Albums
| Year | Album | U.S. Country Albums | |
| 1965 | Connie Smith | #1 | |
| 1965 | Cute 'n' Country | #1 | |
| 1966 | Born to Sing | #1 | |
| 1966 | Connie Smith Sings Great Sacred Songs | #19 | |
| 1966 | Miss Smith Goes to Nashville | #2 | |
| 1967 | Connie Smith Sings Bill Anderson | #11 | |
| 1967 | Downtown Country | #5 | |
| 1967 | The Best of Connie Smith | #22 | |
| 1968 | I Love Charlie Brown | #14 | |
| 1968 | Soul of Country Music | #7 | |
| 1969 | Back in Baby's Arms | #12 | |
| 1969 | Connie's Country | #14 | |
| 1969 | Young Love (duet album with Nat Stuckey) | #29 | |
| 1969 | Sunshine and Rain | #32 | |
| 1970 | I Never Once Stopped Loving You | #15 | |
| 1970 | The Best of Connie Smith Vol. 2 | #26 | |
| 1971 | Just One Time | #20 | |
| 1971 | Where is My Castle | #39 | |
| 1972 | If It Ain't Love (And Other Great Dallas Frazier Songs) | #14 | |
| 1972 | Ain't We Havin' Us a Good Time | #25 | |
| 1974 | God Is Abundant | #20 | |
| 1973 | Love Is The Look You're Looking For | #24 | |
| 1973 | A Lady Named Smith | #31 | |
| 1973 | Dream Painter | #39 | |
| 1974 | I Never Knew (What That Song Meant Before) | #22 | |
| 1974 | Now | #40 | |
| 1974 | That's the Way Love Goes | #41 | |
| 1975 | Connie Smith Sings Hank Williams Gospel | #47 | |
| 1976 | I Don't Want to Talk it Over Anymore | #33 | |
| 1976 | The Song We Fell In Love To | #34 | |
| 1978 | New Horizons | - | |
| 1992 | The Wayward Wind | - | |
| 1993 | Live In Branson, Missouri, USA | - | |
| 1993 | Greatest Hits on Monument | - | |
| 1996 | The Essential Connie Smith | - | |
| 1997 | Super Hits | - | |
| 1998 | Connie Smith | - | |
| 2001 | God Will (with Nat Stuckey) | - | |
| 2003 | Love Never Fails | - |
[edit] Awards & Nominations
| Year | Award Program | Award | Result | |
| 1967 | CMA Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year | Nominated | |
| 1970 | CMA Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year | Nominated | |
| 1972 | CMA Awards | Female Vocalist of the Year | Nominated | |
| 1979 | Music City News | Gospel Group/Act of the Year | Won |
[edit] External links
- Connie Smith at CMT.com
- Connie Smith at Opry.com
- Connie Smith at All Music Guide
- Connie Smith Brief Biography & Annotated discography
- Connie Smith at LP Discography to the left: scroll down to 'S' and to 'SMITH Connie' (this discography is quite complete w/ original picture sleeves, chart positions and lyrics)
Categories: 1941 births | Living people | American country singers | American female singers | Country singers | Country music songwriters | American Christians | People from Elkhart, Indiana | People from Indiana | Indiana musicians | American composers | American songwriters | Grand Ole Opry members
