I am not Connie Smith, nor am I pretending to be. I am a fan who though she deserved a spot on MySpace where her fans can enjoy her music.
Connie Smith (born August 14, 1941), born Constance Meador in Elkhart, Indiana, USA, is a country singer, best known for her 1964 hit song "Once a Day", and often hailed by music critics as one of the finest voices in Country Music.
She was discovered by Bill Anderson who took her to producer Bob Ferguson to sign a recording contract with RCA in 1963. In 1964, she hit first place on the country charts with her debuting single "Once a Day" (written by Bill Anderson). This made her the first debuting female country star to reach no. 1 with the first single. "Once a Day" spent 8 weeks at #1, the biggest hit by a female vocalist ever on the Billboard country chart and the biggest country record of 1964.
Overnight she became a 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). Connie's major 1960's hits include "Then and Only Then" (1965), "Ain't Had No Lovin'" (1966), and "Cincinnati, Ohio" (1967). Three of her albums hit number one on Billboard's country album chart. In all, she placed 31 albums on the Billboard country chart between 1965 and 1976 and had 39 top 40 country hits between 1964 and 1978, 20 of them making the top ten. Her last record to make the national charts was "A Far Cry From You" in 1985.
Connie Smith has been 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". Another Smith-penned hit "You've Got Me Right Where You Want Me" was later recorded by Reba McEntire. Connie Smith is also known for having a "big voice" but receives little credit for the honor.
Smith remained at the top of the country field into the 1970's, 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.
Since 1997 she has been married to Marty Stuart, a country star 17 years her junior. Stuart produced Smith's 1998 comeback album on the Warner Brothers Records label. 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.
