Connie Smith Biography

Connie Smith (real name – Constance June Meador) is an American Award-winning Songwriter, Country Music Singer, and TV Personality who is best known for “Once a Day”, her 1964 debut single.

Smith’s contralto vocals have been defined as influential and significant to the ladies of country music by music writers. There is a similarity between the stylings of Patsy Cline (country vocalist) and Smith’s vocal style. Smith has been cited as an influence on their own singing styles by other performers. In the year 1963, she was signed with RCA Victor Records the subsequent year and remained with the label for 9 years (1964-1973).

Among Smith’s hits, “Once a Day” (her first song) was the one that hit the most. She also has 19 more top-ten hits on the country songs chart. Some of the hits include “Ain’t Love a Good Thing,” “Then and Only Then,” “Cincinnati, Ohio,” “I Never Once Stopped Loving You,” and “Ain’t Had No Lovin’.”

She has earned 11 Grammy Award nominations: 8 for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. Smith has also earned one Academy of Country Music award nomination and 3 Country Music Association award nominations. Smith was ranked one of the top 10 in CMT’s list of the 40 greatest women of country music. She was also included in Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 greatest country music artists. Since the year 1965, Smith has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry cast. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in the year 2012.

Connie Smith Early Life

In the year 1959, Smith graduated from Salem-Liberty High School as the class salutatorian. Upon graduation from high school, she went to work as a telephone operator in Lowell, OH, and as a dental assistant and drugstore clerk in a grocery store.

Smith’s 1st professional performance was at Washington County Fair in the year 1962. After that, she joined the cast of a local country music TV show, Saturday Night Jamboree. She was fired following her 1st performance, later theorizing it was because she was having her 1st pregnancy. Subsequently, Smith successfully auditioned for and landed a spot on a similar show for WSAZ-TV.

Smith joined a talent contest at the Frontier Ranch country music park near Columbus, OH in August 1963. She performed at Jean Shepard’s “I Thought of You” and she won the talent contest and 5 silver dollars. Smith ran into Anderson at a country music package concert in Canton, OH in January 1964. She was invited to perform with Anderson on Ernest Tubb’s Midnite Jamboree show in Nashville, TN.

Smith started recording Gospel music more often in the early ’70s, as she became more serious about her religion, Christianity. She became prominent for her outspoken religious demeanor at music venues and concerts. In the year 1979, she ultimately went into semi-retirement. In the mid-’80s, she returned back to recording briefly with Epic Records.

Connie Smith Age

Smith is 81 years old as of 2022. She was born on August 14, 1941, in Elkhart, Indiana, United States. She celebrates her birthday on the 14th of August every year.

Connie Smith Height

Smith stands at an approximate height of 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m).

Connie Smith Family

Smith was born to Hobart Meador (father) and Wilma (mother). Her parents are both West Virginians. Smith’s family relocated to West Virginia when she was 5 months old, and then subsequently relocated to Dungannon, Ohio. Her dad was an alcoholic and he was abusive to her family. This made Smith’s mom divorce her dad when she was still young. Her mom married Tom Clark after divorcing Smith’s dad, and they were blessed with 10 kids.

Smith was raised with her 12 siblings: 4 biological siblings and 10 half-siblings. The identities of her siblings are unknown. Smith’s love for music began when she was young. Her stepdad Tom Clark played mandolin, while her 2 brothers played guitar and fiddle. They would tune into the Grand Ole Opry radio broadcast every Saturday night.

Connie Smith Accident

While tuning into the Grand Ole Opry radio broadcast on Saturday nights, Smith took up the guitar following a lawnmower accident that almost cut her leg off. In her recovery in the hospital, she was given a guitar and taught herself how to play different chords.

Connie Smith Husband

Smith is married to Marty Stuart, an American singer-songwriter. They tied the knot on July 8, 1997. They first met when they were young — Marty was 12 years old when Smith came to the Indian reservation in Philadelphia, Penns., his hometown, to work at a fair. This is Smith’s 4th marriage.

Marty Stuart

Smith’s husband Marty Stuart is a famous American Award-winning songwriter, musician, and bluegrass and country music singer. He is also Smith’s producer. He has charted more than 30 times on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts and has more than 20 albums. Marty is well-known for his highest chart entry, “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin.” This was a duet with Travis Tritt. Marty is also famous for his distinctive stage dress; his frequent collaborations and cover songs; and his combination of bluegrass music, country rock, and rockabilly influences. Marty started producing her after writing songs for Smith’s 1998 comeback album.

He holds 5 Grammy Awards out of sixteen nominations. He is 64 years old as of 2022, having been born on September 30, 1958, in Philadelphia, Mississippi, United States. Marty’s marriage with Smith is his 2nd marriage. His 1st wife was Johnny Cash’s daughter Cindy (an American author, singer, and antique dealer). They were married for 5 years (1983 to 1988).

Connie Smith Ex-Husbands

Smith’s 1st husband was Jerry Smith (a Ferro-analyst at the Inter-Lake Iron Corporation in Beverly, OH). They tied the knot in the year 1961 and divorced in the mid-1960s, due to unknown reasons. Jerry was a source of encouragement to Smith’s singing.

She then married her 2nd husband, Jack Watkins (a guitarist in Smith’s touring band). Their relationship did not work out well, and it did not take long before Smith married her 3rd husband, Marshall Haynes (a telephone repairman). In the early ’70s, Smith and Marshall frequently toured on her road show. They however divorced in the early ’90s and Smith said that she would never marry again since it seemed that all her relationships weren’t working out. However, she decided to give it a try with Marty Stuart and it seems that she ultimately found her soulmate, and they have been in marriage to date.

Connie Smith Children

Smith has 5 children and they are not of the same father. Smith and her 1st husband Jerry Smith were blessed with a son, Darren Justin Smith (a psychologist and a missionary). He is 59 years old as of 2022 having been born on March 9, 1963. Smith and her 2nd husband Jack Watkins were blessed with a son, Kerry Watkins. Smith and her 3rd husband Marshall Haynes were blessed with 3 daughters; Jeanne Haynes, Jodi Haynes, and Julie Haynes.

Connie Smith Net Worth

Smith has an annual estimated net worth of $8 Million.

Connie Smith COVID-19 / Health

In February 2021, Smith stated that she had been diagnosed with coronavirus, in a New York Times interview. She was hospitalized after the diagnosis and she developed pneumonia and sepsis. Ultimately, Smith made a full recovery.

Connie Smith Once a Day

Smith released her 1st single titled “Once a Day” in the year 1964. The single spent 8 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country music charts (from November 28, 1964, to early 1965). It also earned a nomination at the Grammy Awards for “Best Female Country Vocal Performance.” After releasing this single, Smith became the 1st female artist to achieve this feat. She held the record for more than 50 years until it was broken by Trisha Yearwood. “Once a Day” became her biggest hit.

Connie Smith Obituary

Is Connie Smith Still Alive?

Smith is not dead, she is alive and healthy. However, there are some rumors and hoaxes saying that Smith passed away in January 2021. The rumors are not true…maybe some people confuse Smith with someone else who has the same name as her.

Connie Smith Movies / Films

Smith has made cameo appearances in various films. These films include;

• Hell on Wheels (1967)
• The Road to Nashville (1967)
• Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar (1966)
• The Las Vegas Hillbillys (1966)

She has also appeared in the movie “The Marty Stuart Show” (2008–2014) in 153 episodes, and as a singer at a rodeo dance in the film “The Hi-Lo Country” (1998).

Connie Smith Song Albums

Some of Smith’s studio albums include;

• Connie Smith (1965)
• Miss Smith Goes to Nashville (1966)
• Born to Sing (1966)
• The Cry of the Heart (2021)
• Long Line of Heartaches (2011)
• Love Never Fails (2003)
• Connie Smith (1998)
• The Best of Connie Smith (1989)
• I Don’t Wanna Talk It Over Anymore (1976)
• Joy to the World (1975)