Michael W. Smith

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Michael W. Smith.jpg

Michael Whitaker Smith (born October 7, 1957 in Kenova , West Virginia ) is an American singer and songwriter with a Christian orientation. He is married and has five children.

Career

Since his first album Project (1983), Michael W. Smith has become one of the most popular artists of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) and was also very popular with the general public. Smith sold more than seven million albums and received ten gold records , seven platinum records and two Grammys by 2016 .

In his youth, Smith suffered from severe drug and alcohol addictions . During this time he was a member of several local bands and developed his songwriting skills there. In October 1979, Smith broke down emotionally and mentally. It was through this incision that Smith recalled his childhood Christian beliefs and overcame his addictions. Then he started playing the CCM keyboard for various bands .

In 1981 Smith became a songwriter for Meadowgreen Music , where he wrote some very successful gospel hits for artists such as Sandi Patty , Kathy Troccoli , Bill Gaither and Amy Grant . The following year, Smith began playing keyboard for Grant on the Age to Age tour. In 1983 he recorded his Grammy-nominated album Michael W. Smith Project .

In 1984 he released his second pop album and began touring on his own. In 1986 he released his critically acclaimed album The Big Picture , produced by Johnny Potoker , who otherwise worked with artists such as Brian Eno , Genesis , Madonna , No Doubt and the Talking Heads .

After the release of his album i 2 (eye) in 1988, Smith again accompanied Amy Grant on her Lead Me On World Tour . The album This Is Your Time , released in 1999, was inspired by the school slaughter at Columbine High School .

Smith wrote his song There She Stands because of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 in the USA at the request of George W. Bush , with whom he had met in the White House . Smith played the song at the 2004 Republican Convention in New York City .

Smith also wrote some books.

On February 17, 2006 his film The second chance was released in American cinemas, in which he made his debut as an actor and played a leading role.

Michael W. Smith, 2009

To help young people, he set up the Rocketown project, a kind of disco combined with youth work, to reach children who live in the streets with no goal in their lives.

On his 50th birthday, his third Christmas album "It's A Wonderful Christmas" was released in October 2007, which he recorded in the spring of that year at Abbey Road Studios in London.

In 2008 A New Hallelujah was released , a live recording of the worship concert of the same name in Houston with Israel Houghton and the African Children's Choir as a guest.

Smith has given concerts in Germany in 2003 (Wetzlar and Siegen), 2005 (Karlsruhe), 2007 (Karlsruhe), 2009 (Lemgo) and 2015 (Heilbronn).

Discography

Studio albums

year title Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements
(Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)
Remarks
US US United StatesUnited States ChristianTemplate: chart table / maintenance / country unknown (US)
1983 Michael W. Smith Project US-
gold
gold
US
Christian9 (184 weeks)
Christian
First published: March 15, 1983
Sales: + 500,000
1984 Michael W. Smith 2 - Christian4 (117 weeks)
Christian
First published: February 23, 1984
1986 The big picture - Christian2 (69 weeks)
Christian
First published: February 1, 1986
1988 I 2 (eye) US-
gold
gold
US
Christian1 (164 weeks)
Christian
First published: August 15, 1988
Sales: + 500,000
1990 Go West Young Man US74
platinum
platinum

(19 weeks)US
Christian1 (145 weeks)
Christian
First published: September 24, 1990
Sales: + 1,050,000
1992 Change your world US86
platinum
platinum

(29 weeks)US
Christian1 (98 weeks)
Christian
First published: Aug 21, 1992
Sales: + 1,000,000
1995 I'll lead you home US16
platinum
platinum

(39 weeks)US
Christian1 (83 weeks)
Christian
First published: August 1, 1995
Sales: + 1,000,000
1998 Live the life US23
gold
gold

(18 weeks)US
Christian1 (64 weeks)
Christian
First published: April 28, 1998
Sales: + 500,000
1999 This is your time US21st
gold
gold

(13 weeks)US
Christian1 (43 weeks)
Christian
First published: November 23, 1999
Sales: + 500,000
2004 Healing Rain US11
gold
gold

(15 weeks)US
Christian1 (51 weeks)
Christian
First published: October 26, 2004
Sales: + 500,000
2006 was standing US48 (13 weeks)
US
Christian1 (44 weeks)
Christian
First published: November 7, 2006
2010 Wonder US26 (9 weeks)
US
Christian2 (39 weeks)
Christian
First published: September 28, 2010
2014 Sovereign US10 (5 weeks)
US
Christian1 (48 weeks)
Christian
First published: May 13, 2014
2018 A million lights - Christian2 (5 weeks)
Christian
First published: February 16, 2018
Lullaby - -
First published: May 4, 2018

Web links

Commons : Michael W. Smith  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

swell

  1. CD: A New Hallelujah , gerth.de, message from 2008.
  2. Michael W. Smith concert in Heilbronn , erf.de, message from May 4, 2015.
  3. Chart sources: US