The Praise 1300am Family is today shining the spotlight on Christian Singer-Songwriter Michael W Smith!!!!
Michael Whitaker Smith was born October 7, 1957, to Paul and Barbara Smith, in Kenova, West Virginia. His father was an oil refinery worker and his mother was a caterer and church secretary. He has one sister, Kim.
As a child, Michael was active in church activities, baseball, and playing piano, writing his first song when he was five. When he was ten years old, he made the decision to give his life to Christ. An early dream was to play professional baseball. During his teens he was surrounded with a solid support group of fellow believers who frequently gathered to play music. After graduating from high school, the group split up.
Michael attended a semester of college at Marshall University in West Virginia but dropped out and moved to Nashville with the hopes of a career in music. He played with local bands. Unable to get a record deal, Smith experimented with drugs and alcohol for a short time before reclaiming his direction and renewing his faith in October, 1979.
He started performing with a Christian group called Higher Ground, playing keyboards. While he was playing with Higher Ground, he signed his first songwriting contract with Paragon/Benson Publishing Company. The sixteen-hour days writing music was a labor of love for Michael.
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source: michaelwsmith.net
