Granger Smith
Granger Smith | |
---|---|
Birth name | Granger Kelly Smith |
Also known as | Earl Dibbles Jr. |
Born |
Dallas, Texas | September 4, 1979
Genres | Country |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
Years active | 1998–present |
Labels | Thirty Tigers, Wheelhouse |
Website |
www |
Granger Kelly Smith (born September 4,[1] 1979),[2] also known as Earl Dibbles Jr, is an American country music singer and songwriter. He has released eight studio albums, one live album, and one EP.
Early life
Smith was born in Dallas, Texas. At the age of fourteen, he became interested in music and decided to pursue it as a hobby, teaching himself guitar.[3] At nineteen, Smith moved from Texas to Nashville after signing a songwriting contract with EMI Music Publishing.
Musical career
Granger Smith was signed to a contract at the age of nineteen in Nashville. He has performed three times at the White House, and in 2008 he traveled to perform for soldiers in Iraq and Kuwait.[3] His 2013 album Dirt Road Driveway peaked at number 15 on US country charts and number 11 on US indie charts.
Smith's EP 4x4 was co-produced by Granger and Frank Rogers. The album debuted on the Top Country Albums chart at number 6, and reached number 51 on Billboard 200. The lead single from the album was "Backroad Song", which sold over 32,000 downloads in its first week of release, entering the iTunes Country Singles chart at Number Two, the iTunes Canada Country Chart at number one and the Billboard Country Digital Sales Chart at number four.
On August 12, 2015, Granger announced he had signed with Broken Bow Records imprint Wheelhouse Records, which also assumed promotion of "Backroad Song".[4][5] Wheelhouse released his album Remington, plus its second single, "If the Boot Fits".
Some of Smith's recordings make use of an alter ego named Earl Dibbles Jr.
Personal life
Smith attended Lake Highlands High School in Dallas, Texas, and graduated from Texas A&M with a bachelor's degree (his song "We Bleed Maroon" is about his time at A&M). He lived in Nashville for five years and currently resides in Texas. He and Amber Emily Bartlett (born November 16, 1981),[6] an actress, have been married since February 11, 2010. They met on the set of a music video and she has been featured in several of his music videos since. He has one daughter, London, born October 3, 2011, and two sons; Lincoln Monarch Smith, born in Jan 7, 2014 and River Kelly Smith, born May 16, 2016.[7][8]
Discography
- Waiting on Forever (1998)
- Memory Rd. (2004)
- Pockets of Pesos (2005)
- Livin' Like a Lonestar (2006)
- Don't Listen to the Radio (2009)
- Poets & Prisoners (2011)
- Dirt Road Driveway (2013)
- Remington (2016)
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Recipient/Work | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | BMI Awards | BMI Country Award | "Backroad Song" | Won | [9] |
2017 | iHeartRadio Music Awards | Best New Country Artist | Granger Smith | Nominated | [10] |
References
- ↑ "Amber Bartlett Smith on Twitter: "Happy birthday to this stud! My soul mate, best friend, my happiness. We love you baby â?¤ď¸?đ&#x;Ž‰ @GrangerSmith "". Twitter. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
- ↑
- 1 2 Johnson, Natalie. "Granger Smith returns from Iraq, Kuwait, and White House". Lubbock-Avalanche Journal. Retrieved 2014-03-29.
- ↑ McClellan, Laura. "Granger Smith signs Deal with BBR Record Group". Taste of Country. Retrieved 2015-08-12.
- ↑ "BBR Music Launches New Label, Starting With Trace Adkins and Granger Smith". Taste of Country. August 31, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
- ↑ "Amber Bartlett". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
- ↑ "Granger Smith Welcomes Baby Boy".
- ↑ "Country Aircheck || News". www.countryaircheck.com. Retrieved 2016-08-18.
- ↑ "Granger Smith Accepts BMI Country Award and Celebrates 50th Annual CMA Awards". Nashville Country Club. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
- ↑ "Here's The Complete List Of #iHeartAwards Winners | iHeartRadio Music Awards | iHeartRadio". iHeartRadio. Retrieved 12 March 2017.