Michael W. Smith Biography
Michael W. Smith is an American recording artist who has had success on both mainstream and contemporary Christian charts. When “Place in This World” reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991, it became his most commercially successful single. Over the course of his career, he has sold over 18 million albums.
Michael W. Smith Age
Smith is 65 years old as of October 2022. He was born Michael Whitaker Smith on 7 October 1957 in Kenova, West Virginia, United States.
Michael W. Smith Height
Smith stands at an average height of 6 feet and 1 inch(1.8 m).
Michael W. Smith Family – Parents
Smith is the son of Paul and Barbara Smith. His father worked as an oil refinery employee at the nearby Ashland Oil Refinery in Catlettsburg, Kentucky. His mother was a caterer. His father, who had played in the minor leagues, was the source of his baseball passion. As a child, he discovered a love of music through his faith.
Michael W. Smith’s Wife – Married
Deborah “Debbie” Kay Davis is Smith’s wife. Ryan Davis, Whitney Katherine Mooring (married to Jack Mooring of the band Leeland), Tyler Michael, Anna Elizabeth, and Emily Allison are the couple’s five children. He lives in the Nashville suburbs and visits his farm on occasion. Smith looks up to Don Finto, the longtime pastor of Belmont Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Smith founded the New River Fellowship church in Franklin, Tennessee, and served as its founding pastor from 2006 to 2008. Smith and his wife are still active members of their church.
Michael W. Smith Career
Smith made his acting debut as Billy Holden in Secret Adventures: “Shrug” in 1994. Smith starred as the lead in Steve Taylor’s 2006 film The Second Chance. He also contributed to the film’s score and soundtrack. Smith played Cliff McArdle in the 2015 film adaptation of Don Piper’s best-selling book 90 Minutes in Heaven. In addition, he worked on the score and soundtrack for this film with his son. Smith also appeared in The Passion, a live musical film that premiered on FOX on March 20, 2016. Smith joined a Bible study and met several older friends who shared his religious beliefs. After Smith’s older Christian buddies left for college, he started to experience emotions of isolation and alienation. He tended to drift toward drink and drugs after high school. At that time, he was persuaded to move to Nashville, the center of Country Music, and pursue a career in music by his buddy Shane Keister, a session musician in Nashville.
With the help of Madelyn Berry and Vanessa Campagna, Smith’s single “Waymaker” finds him stepping away from the mike and allowing the women to handle the heavy lifting. It pays off as the group sings a triumphant chorus of praise. Sinach, a Nigerian singer, wrote, recorded, and first gained popularity for the song when she released it as a single in advance of her 2016 album Way Maker (Live). Smith’s second album, Surrounded, his first live worship CD in ten years, was released on February 23, 2018. The two albums were his thirty-first and thirty-first appearances in the top ten of Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart, the most of any solo artist’s career. VeggieTales co-creators Mike Nawrocki and Smith collaborated to produce the Nurturing Steps children’s book series, which they released in May 2018. Nighty Night and Good Night, the debut novel, was published on May 8. To go along with the book, he also published Lullaby, his debut album for kids. At Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on August.
Michael’s sixth studio album was released on October 1, 1990, by Reunion. It is titled Go West Young Man. His first effort at popular success was with this album. It was successful because “Place in This World,” which reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1991, was one of its top ten hits. Michael’s album I’ll Lead You Home was released by Reunion Records. The album made history by being the highest-debuting Christian album in the history of the Billboard 200 at position 16. Additionally, it topped the chart for “Top Contemporary Christian.” It was published in August 1995, and by December of that same year, approximately 51,500 copies had been sold alone in Christian bookstores. Allmusic gave the album a rating of four and a half stars, with Stephen Thomas Erlewine praising the “gospel tunes with sparkling, perfect pop production.” The Dayton Daily News’ James Lloyd gave the album a positive review, calling it “his best effort to date.” Smith received his second Grammy Award for the album in 1996 for “Best Pop-Contemporary Gospel Album.”
Michael W. Smith’s Net Worth
Smith has an estimated net worth of $14 Million.
