Connie Smith

{{Short description|American country music artist (born 1941)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Connie Smith
| image              = Connie Smith Opry 2.jpg
| caption            = Smith performing live at the Grand Ole Opry in 2007
| birth_name         = Constance June Meador
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1941|8|14}}
| birth_place        = [[Elkhart, Indiana]], U.S.
| other_names        = <!--Per Template:Infobox person and MOS:MULTINAMES, it is not necessary to list off her names here. Also see WP:BLP.-->
| occupation         = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter}}
| years_active       = 1964–present
| known_for          = "[[Once a Day]]"
| spouse             = {{ubl|{{marriage|Jerry Smith|1961|1966|reason=divorced}}|{{marriage|Jack Watkins|1966|1967|reason=divorced}}|{{marriage|Marshall Haynes|1972|1992|reason=divorced}}|{{marriage|[[Marty Stuart]]|1997}}}}
| children           = 5
| module             = {{Infobox musical artist
| embed           = yes
| genre           = {{hlist|[[Country music|Country]]|[[Nashville Sound]]|[[Gospel music|gospel]]}}
| instrument      = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar}}
| label           = {{hlist|[[RCA Records|RCA Victor]]|[[Columbia Records|Columbia]]|[[Monument Records|Monument]]|[[Epic Records|Epic]]|[[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]]|Daywind|[[Sugar Hill Records (bluegrass label)|Sugar Hill]]|[[Fat Possum Records|Fat Possum]]}}
| associated_acts = {{hlist|[[Bill Anderson (singer)|Bill Anderson]]|[[Nat Stuckey]]|[[Barbara Fairchild]]|[[Sharon White (singer)|Sharon White]]}}
}}
}}
'''Connie Smith''' (born '''Constance June Meador'''; August 14, 1941)<ref name="roughguide">{{cite book|last=Wolff|first=Kurt|title=''Country Music: The Rough Guide''|editor=Orla Duane|publisher=Rough Guides Ltd.|location=London, England|chapter=Ch. 8 – It's Such a Pretty World Today: The Nashville Sound Arrives}}</ref><ref name="PBS">{{cite web |last1=Burns |first1=Ken |title=Connie Smith Biography |url=https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/country-music/connie-smith-biography/ |website=[[PBS]] |access-date=10 May 2022}}</ref> is an American [[country music]] singer and songwriter. Her [[contralto]] vocals have been described by music writers as significant and influential to the women of country music. A similarity has been noted between her vocal style and the stylings of country vocalist [[Patsy Cline]]. Other performers have cited Smith as influence on their own singing styles, which has been reflected in quotes and interviews over the years.

Discovered in 1963, Smith signed with [[RCA Victor Records]] the following year and remained with the label until 1973. Her debut single "[[Once a Day]]" was nominated at the [[Grammy Awards]] for [[Best Female Country Vocal Performance]] and reached number one on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot Country Songs]] chart in November 1964 and remained at the top position for eight weeks, the first time a female artist had achieved this feat, with Smith holding the record for over 50 years until it was broken by [[Trisha Yearwood]]. The song became Smith's biggest hit. Smith's success continued through 1960s and mid 1970s with 19 more top-10 hits (including "[[Then and Only Then]]"; "[[Ain't Had No Lovin']]"; "[[Cincinnati, Ohio (song)|Cincinnati, Ohio]]"; "[[I Never Once Stopped Loving You (song)|I Never Once Stopped Loving You]]"; and "[[Ain't Love a Good Thing]]") on the country songs chart.

In the early 1970s, Smith began recording [[Gospel music]] more frequently as she became more serious in her Christianity. As she focused more heavily on religion, Smith became known for her outspoken religious demeanor at concerts and music venues. At the same time, Smith spent more time raising her five children than focusing on music. She eventually went into semi-retirement in 1979. Smith returned to recording briefly in the mid-1980s with [[Epic Records]]. However, it was not until her collaboration with [[Marty Stuart]] in the 1990s that she returned permanently. Their musical friendship became romantic, leading to their marriage in 1997. The pairing led to ''[[Connie Smith (1998 album)|Connie Smith]]'', Smith's first studio album in 20 years. Critically acclaimed, Smith began performing again and has recorded two more studio albums.

Smith has been nominated for 11 [[Grammy Awards]], including eight nominations for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. She has also been nominated for one [[Academy of Country Music]] award and three [[Country Music Association]] awards. ''Rolling Stone'' included her on its list of the 100 greatest country music artists and ''[[CMT (U.S. TV channel)|CMT]]'' ranked her among the top 10 in its list of the 40 greatest women of country music. She has been a member of the [[Grand Ole Opry]] cast since 1965. In 2012, Smith was inducted into the [[Country Music Hall of Fame]].

==Early life==
Connie Smith was born Constance June Meador to parents Wilma and Hobart Meador in Elkhart, Indiana.<ref name="allmusicbio">{{cite web |last1=Bush |first1=John |title=Connie Smith: Biography |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/connie-smith-mn0000099753/biography |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=9 May 2022}}</ref> Her parents were originally from West Virginia, and when Smith was five months old, the family returned there. They later moved to Dungannon, Ohio.{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=4}} Her biological father was an alcoholic, and he was abusive to Smith's family.{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=4}}{{sfn|Mazor|2012|p=6}} "There were some tough times that I went through as a young child," she told an interviewer.<ref name="Country Stars Central">{{cite web|title=Connie Smith Interview |url=http://www.countrystarscentral.com/conniesmithinterview.htm|publisher=Country Stars Central|access-date=August 15, 2010}}</ref>

Her mother divorced her biological father when she was a child and remarried to Tom Clark. Smith's stepfather brought eight children to the marriage, and Meador brought five (including Smith). The couple later had two more children together, totaling 15 children.{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=4}} Smith was influenced by music in her childhood. Her stepfather played [[mandolin]], while her brother played [[fiddle]], and her other brother played guitar. On Saturday nights, the family tuned into the [[Grand Ole Opry]] radio broadcast.{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=4}} She took up the guitar following a lawnmower accident, which nearly cut her leg off. While in the hospital recovering, she was given a guitar and learned how to play different chords.<ref name="legendscorner">{{cite web|last=Sexton|first=Scott|title=Legend's Corner – Connie Smith|url=http://countrymusic.about.com/od/legendscorner/a/LC_ConnieSmith.htm|publisher=[[about.com]]|access-date=August 13, 2010|archive-date=February 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225050917/http://countrymusic.about.com/od/legendscorner/a/LC_ConnieSmith.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Smith did not perform publicly until high school when a friend invited her to sing [[Connie Francis]]'s pop hit "[[My Happiness (1948 song)|My Happiness]]".{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=5}}

With only one-tenth of a point behind the valedictorian,{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=5}} Smith graduated from Salem-Liberty High School in 1959 as the class salutatorian.{{sfn|Mazor|2012|p=6}} Following graduation, she worked as telephone operator in Lowell, Ohio. She also worked as a drugstore clerk, a dental assistant and in a grocery store.{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=5}} At age 19, she married her first husband, Jerry Smith.<ref name="The Boot">{{cite web |last1=Betts |first1=Stephen L. |title=Country Music Hall of Fame Adds Garth Brooks, Connie Smith, Hargus 'Pig' Robbins |url=https://theboot.com/country-music-hall-of-fame-garth-brooks-connie-smith-hargus-pig-robbins/ |website=The Boot |date=March 6, 2012 |access-date=9 May 2022}}</ref> Smith's husband encouraged her singing, and she began performing with more frequency. Her first professional performance was at the 1962 Washington County Fair. She then briefly joined the cast of ''Saturday Night Jamboree'', a local country music television program. Smith was fired following her first performance, later theorizing it was because she was pregnant.{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=5}} She then successfully auditioned for and landed a spot on a similar program for [[WSAZ-TV]].{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=7}}

Despite performance opportunities, Smith intended to remain a housewife and mother.<ref name="roughguide"/>{{sfn|Escott|2001|pp=6-8}} In August 1963, Smith entered a talent contest at the Frontier Ranch country music park near Columbus, Ohio. Performing [[Jean Shepard]]'s "[[I Thought of You]]", Smith won the talent contest and five [[Dollar coin (United States)|silver dollars]].<ref name="NY Times">{{cite news |last1=Osmon |first1=Erin |title=54 Albums Later, Connie Smith's Defiant Heart Has Plenty to Say |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/19/arts/music/connie-smith-cry-of-the-heart.html |access-date=20 August 2021 |work=[[New York Times]] |date=August 19, 2021}}</ref> Judging the contest was country singer-songwriter [[Bill Anderson (singer)|Bill Anderson]], who was instantly impressed by her voice. "At first I thought they were playing a record and she was lip sync'ing it," he later explained.{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=7}}

In January 1964, Smith ran into Anderson again at a country music package concert in Canton, Ohio. He invited her to perform with him on [[Ernest Tubb]]'s ''[[Midnite Jamboree]]'' program in Nashville, Tennessee. When Smith performed on the program in March 1964, she found out that she would not be performing with Anderson, but instead with [[Ernest Tubb]]. Impressed by her performance, [[Loretta Lynn]] introduced herself after the show and gave her career advice.{{sfn|Escott|2001|pp=7-8}}<ref name="interview">Interview with Connie Smith for ''Ralph Emery Live'' on [[RFD-TV]]</ref> After performing on the program, Smith returned to Nashville that May to record demos by Anderson that he planned on pitching to other country artists. Anderson's manager Hubert Long brought the demo recording to the [[RCA Victor Records|RCA Victor]] label where producer [[Chet Atkins]] heard it. Also impressed by her vocals, Atkins offered Smith a recording contract, and she signed on June 24, 1964.{{sfn|Escott|2001|pp=8-10}}

==Career==
===1964–1967: "Once a Day" and peak success===
[[File:Connie Smith--Nashville Concert--1964.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Smith performing for a crowd of 5,000 people, August 1964.]]
After signing Smith to RCA, [[Chet Atkins]] found himself too busy with other artists. Instead he enlisted [[Bob Ferguson (music)|Bob Ferguson]] to act as Smith's producer. The pair developed a close professional relationship and Ferguson remained her producer until she departed from RCA. "I couldn't have asked for a better person to work with. He is one of the finest men I've ever known," Smith later said.{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=10}} Smith's first session took place on July 16, 1964, where she recorded four songs. Three of these tracks were written by Bill Anderson, who agreed to write material for Smith.{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=38}} Two days later, Smith made her debut on the ''[[Grand Ole Opry]]''.{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=12}} One of the four songs recorded on July 16 was "[[Once a Day]]", which was chosen to be Smith's debut single. "Once a Day" was released in August 1964 and reached number one on the ''[[Billboard Magazine]]'' [[Hot Country Singles]] chart on November 28. It remained at the number one position for eight weeks between late 1964 and early 1965.<ref name="whitburn">{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008|publisher=Record Research, Inc.|year=2008|pages=387–388|isbn=978-0-89820-177-2}}<!--|accessdate=2009-10-06--></ref> "Once a Day" became the first debut single by a female country artist to reach number one. For nearly 50 years the single held the record for the most weeks spent at number one on the ''Billboard'' country chart by a female artist.<ref>{{cite web|last=White|first=Dan|title=Terri Gibbs, The Singer Who Happens to be Blind|url=http://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=105182|publisher=Faith Writers|access-date=August 13, 2010}}</ref>

Smith started performing more regularly with "Once a Day"'s success. Bill Anderson briefly served as her manager, but was replaced by Charlie Lamb. Smith made her first network television appearance in October 1964 on ABC's ''[[The Jimmy Dean Show]]''.{{sfn|Escott|2001|pp=14-16}} In March 1965, RCA Victor released her [[Connie Smith (album)|self-titled debut album]]{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=15}} It also reached the number one spot, spending a total of seven weeks at the top of the ''Billboard'' [[Top Country Albums]] chart.<ref name="Country Albums">{{cite magazine |title=Connie Smith chart history (Country Albums) |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/connie-smith/ |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=10 May 2022}}</ref> Dan Cooper of ''[[Allmusic]]'' gave the disc a positive reception and described Smith as "a down-home [[Barbra Streisand|Streisand]] fronting [[The Lennon Sisters]]."<ref>{{cite web|last=Cooper|first=Dan|title=''Connie Smith'' > Overview|url={{AllMusic|class=album |id=r123098|pure_url=yes}}|website=Allmusic|access-date=August 13, 2010}}</ref>

Bill Anderson fulfilled his promise to RCA Victor and continued writing Smith's next single releases.{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=14}} Producer Bob Ferguson and steel guitar player [[Weldon Myrick]] created a "high" and "punchy" production that Ferguson thought would sound pleasing on car radios.{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=18}} "I thought it was an awfully thin sound, but it wound up being very popular," Myrick recalled.<ref name="Myrick">{{cite news |last1=Cooper |first1=Peter |title=Famed steel player Weldon Myrick dies at 76 |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2014/06/03/famed-steel-player-weldon-myrick-dies/9908649/ |access-date=10 May 2022 |work=[[The Tennessean]] |date=June 3, 2014}}</ref> In 1965, RCA issued Smith's follow-up single written by Anderson titled "[[Then and Only Then]]", which reached number four on the ''Billboard'' country songs chart.<ref name="allmusicbio"/> It was followed by another Anderson-written top 10 single titled "[[I Can't Remember]]".<ref name="whitburn"/> In October 1965, the latter song appeared on ''[[Cute 'n' Country]]'', Smith's second studio album.{{sfn|Escott|2001|pp=17-18}} Although she disliked the name of the LP,{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=18}} it became her second disc to top the ''Billboard'' country albums chart.<ref name="Country Albums"/> She had additional top five ''Billboard'' country singles through early 1966 with Anderson's "[[Nobody But a Fool (Would Love You)]]" and [[Priscilla Mitchell]]'s "[[If I Talk to Him]]".{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=19}} In 1965, Smith became a member of the ''Grand Ole Opry'' radio show.<ref name="Opry">{{cite web|title=Opry Member: Connie Smith|url=http://www.opry.com/artists/s/Smith_Connie.html|publisher=[[Grand Ole Opry]]|access-date=August 16, 2010|archive-date=June 18, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618055019/http://www.opry.com/artists/s/Smith_Connie.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1966, Ferguson felt pressured from RCA headquarters to market Smith's sound toward "middle-of-the-road" [[country pop]] material. Smith was against the pop production but nevertheless agreed to try it. The pair did several sessions featuring a string instrumentation. The style appeared on her next studio releases ''[[Born to Sing (Connie Smith album)|Born to Sing]]'' (1966) and ''[[Downtown Country]]'' (1967). Both albums featured full orchestras in the background and cover versions of singles by pop artists of the time.{{sfn|Escott|2001|pp=22-23}} Featured on the LPs were the singles "[[Ain't Had No Lovin']]" and "[[The Hurtin's All Over]]", which both reached the ''Billboard'' country top five.<ref name="whitburn"/> During this time, Smith appeared in several country music vehicle films, where she performed many of her current hit recordings.{{sfn|Escott|2001|pp=20-21}} In 1966, she appeared in the films ''[[Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar]]'' and ''[[The Las Vegas Hillbillys]]'', the latter of which starred [[Jayne Mansfield]]. In 1967, she appeared in ''[[The Road to Nashville]]'' and ''[[Hell on Wheels (1967 film)|Hell on Wheels]]''.{{sfn|Bufwack|Oermann|2003|p=294}} Smith's touring schedule also increased. In 1966, she formed her own touring band named the Sundowners and later married the band's guitar player Jack Watkins.{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=28}}

In February 1967, RCA's subsidiary budget label [[RCA Camden|Camden]] released Smith's next studio LP titled ''[[Connie in the Country]]''. The LP included covers of popular country recordings of the era and "[[Cry, Cry, Cry (Connie Smith song)|Cry, Cry, Cry]]", a single by Smith that reached the top 20.<ref name="whitburn"/>{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=22}} In May 1967, RCA released an album of songs written solely by Bill Anderson titled ''[[Connie Smith Sings Bill Anderson]]''. Smith later commented that "it was an honor, not a favor" to record an album of all Anderson tunes. It included covers of Anderson's hits such as "[[City Lights (Ray Price song)|City Lights]]" and "[[That's What It's Like to Be Lonesome]]".{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=24}} Included on the album was "[[Cincinnati, Ohio (song)|Cincinnati, Ohio]]", which Smith released as a single and brought the song to the ''Billboard'' country top five.<ref name="whitburn"/> Its success later inspired the city of Cincinnati, Ohio to declare its own Connie Smith Day in June 1967.{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=24}} Smith remained at her commercial zenith through 1967 with a continued series of top 10 recordings.<ref name="allmusicbio"/> Her further hits included the "[[I'll Come Runnin' (Connie Smith song)|I'll Come Runnin']]", "[[Burning a Hole in My Mind]]", "[[Baby's Back Again]]" and "[[Run Away Little Tears]]".<ref name="whitburn"/> Three of these recordings were included on Smith's 1967 album ''[[I Love Charley Brown]]'', which reached the country LPs top 20.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=Connie |title=''I Love Charley Brown'' (LP Liner Notes and Album Information) |journal=[[RCA Records|RCA Victor]] |date=April 1968 |id=LSP-4002}}</ref>

===1968–1972: Setbacks, gospel music and continued country music success===
By 1968, Smith had reached the height of her career. She was making multiple appearances on film and television while attempting to balance touring with a family life.{{sfn|Bufwack|Oermann|2003|p=294}}<ref name="allmusicbio"/> The pressures of various responsibilities stressed Smith to a point where she nearly left her career. In 1968, she discovered Christianity, which brought solace to her personal and professional life.<ref name="roughguide"/>{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=28}}<ref name="Nashville Scene">{{cite news |last1=Friskics-Warren |first1=Bill |title=Queen of Broken Hearts |url=https://www.nashvillescene.com/arts_culture/queen-of-broken-hearts/article_668f9980-9d35-54b3-9669-5efbaa43970d.html |access-date=30 May 2022 |work=[[Nashville Scene]] |date=October 15, 1998}}</ref> Ultimately, she chose to continue with her career and recorded for RCA every few months.{{sfn|Mazor|2012|p=7}} However, she reduced her touring schedule. She devoted the remainder of her time to family life and made efforts to appear on more Christian music programs. She worked alongside ministers [[Billy Graham]] and [[Rex Humbard]]. She also appeared on several Christian television shows.{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=28}}

[[File:Connie Smith--CMA Awards 1972.jpg|thumb|left|130px|Smith presenting "Instrumentalist of the Year" at the 1972 [[Country Music Association Awards]].]]
With Smith's commitment to RCA, the label continued releasing new albums and singles with regularity.{{sfn|Mazor|2012|p=7}} With her new religious convictions, Smith also made it a priority to include [[Gospel music|gospel]] recordings on her secular albums. This remained a theme throughout her career.{{sfn|Mazor|2012|p=7-8}} In 1968 and 1969, RCA Victor released the studio LPs ''[[Sunshine and Rain]]'', ''[[Back in Baby's Arms]]'' and ''[[Connie's Country]]''. These recordings yielded a cover of [[Marty Robbins]]'s "[[Ribbon of Darkness]]". Smith's version reached the top 20 of the ''Billboard'' country singles chart.{{sfn|Mazor|2012|pp=21-25}}<ref name="whitburn"/> In Canada, "Ribbon of Darkness" became her first song to top their ''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'' Country chart.<ref name="rpm">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?PHPSESSID=gmrhouli7kvfvaeu848ka389j0&q1=Connie+Smith&x=0&y=0|title=Search results for "Connie Smith"|magazine=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]|accessdate=2009-07-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129023441/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?PHPSESSID=gmrhouli7kvfvaeu848ka389j0&q1=Connie+Smith&x=0&y=0|archive-date=2014-11-29|url-status=dead}}</ref> Entering the 1970s, Smith made the top 10 of the North American country charts with less frequency, but continued having commercial success.<ref name="allmusicbio"/><ref name="roughguide"/> The singles "[[You and Your Sweet Love]]" and "[[I Never Once Stopped Loving You (song)|I Never Once Stopped Loving You]]" (both written by Bill Anderson) made the ''Billboard'' country top 10 in 1970.<ref name="allmusicbio"/> Her fifteenth studio LP of the [[I Never Once Stopped Loving You|same name]] was released in 1970 and made the top 20 of the ''Billboard'' country albums chart.<ref name="Country Albums"/>

During this period, Smith also teamed with country singer-songwriter [[Nat Stuckey]] to record two duet studio albums. The idea was crafted by Smith's producer (Bob Ferguson) and Stuckey's producer ([[Felton Jarvis]]). Both men thought the artists' voices would "blend well".{{sfn|Mazor|2012|p=27}} The duo's first duet sessions produced a cover of [[Sonny James]]'s "[[Young Love (1956 song)|Young Love]]", which reached the top 20 of the ''Billboard'' country songs chart.<ref name="whitburn"/> Their first [[Young Love (Connie Smith and Nat Stuckey album)|album of the same name]] featured covers of country and pop songs of the era.{{sfn|Mazor|2012|p=27}} In an effort for Smith record more gospel music, the duo cut a spiritual-themed LP in 1970 titled ''[[Sunday Morning with Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith]]''. Christian radio programs often opened their shows with the duo's gospel music, which influenced RCA to release "If God Is Dead (Who's That Living in My Soul)" as a single in 1970.{{sfn|Mazor|2012|p=27-31}} The song peaked in the lower reaches of the ''Billboard'' country chart.<ref name="whitburn"/>

Journalists and writers took notice of Smith's RCA work following 1968. Biographer and writer Barry Mazor found that Smith's recordings had "a new delicacy of phrasing that shows itself".{{sfn|Mazor|2012|p=8}} Mazor also found her albums to have more distinctive qualities, calling 1970s ''I Never Once Stopped Loving You'' to be "one of her most consistent and strongest albums".{{sfn|Mazor|2012|p=35}} AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised Smith's recordings from 1968 to 1972, highlighting the strength of her vocals: "She may have been given some of the best songs, but the thing is, she deserved them: few others could give them grace and soul, as this always entertaining box amply proves."<ref name="Erlewine 4674">{{cite web |last1=Erlewine |first1=Stephen Thomas |title=''Just for What I Am'': Connie Smith: Songs, reviews, credits |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/just-for-what-i-am-mw0002274674 |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=30 May 2022}}</ref> Authors Mary A. Bufwack and Robert K. Oermann commented that her later RCA singles, "stand the test of time as among the most powerful country female vocal performances of the 1970s."{{sfn|Bufwack|Oermann|2003|p=294}}

In the early 1970s, Smith started recording more songs penned by [[Dallas Frazier]]. The pair had become close friends, which prompted Frazier to write songs for Smith that reflected situations in her personal life.{{sfn|Mazor|2012|p=47}}{{sfn|Mazor|2012|p=36-37}} Both Smith and Frazier described her 1970 single "[[Where Is My Castle (song)|Where Is My Castle]]" as being autobiographical of her recent marital troubles. "Anybody knows that its cathartic to sing how you feel about things," Smith later said.{{sfn|Mazor|2012|p=37}} "Where Is My Castle" reached the top 20 of both the ''Billboard'' and ''RPM'' country singles charts.<ref name="whitburn"/><ref name="rpm"/> In 1971, RCA released Smith's cover of [[Don Gibson]]'s "[[Just One Time (song)|Just One Time]]". Backed by a large rhythm section, the recording reached number two on the ''Billboard'' and ''RPM'' country charts, becoming her most commercially successful single of the 1970s.<ref name="whitburn"/>{{sfn|Mazor|2012|p=41}} Her eighteenth studio LP of the [[Just One Time (album)|same name]] reached number 14 on the ''Billboard'' country albums chart and featured [[liner notes]] written by [[Loretta Lynn]].{{sfn|Mazor|2012|p=41}}<ref name="Country Albums"/>

With Smith being among RCA's top-selling recording artists, she had enough leverage to coax executives to let her record another gospel album. The result was 1971's ''[[Come Along and Walk with Me]]''. The studio album featured gospel tracks written by spiritual writers such as [[Dottie Rambo]].{{sfn|Mazor|2012|p=42}} In 1972, Smith had three back-to-back top singles on the ''Billboard'' country chart: "[[Just for What I Am]]", "[[If It Ain't Love (Let's Leave It Alone)]]" and "[[Love Is the Look You're Looking For]]".<ref name="allmusicbio"/> RCA released the singles on three separate LPs: ''[[Ain't We Havin' Us a Good Time]]'' (1972), ''[[If It Ain't Love and Other Great Dallas Frazier Songs]]'' (1972) and ''[[Love Is the Look You're Looking For]]'' (1973).{{sfn|Mazor|2012|p=47}} Her most commercially successful album was ''If It Ain't Love and Other Great Dallas Frazier Songs'', which reached number 14 on the ''Billboard'' country albums chart.<ref name="Country Albums"/> The studio project was recorded as a tribute to Dallas Frazier and featured 10 songs written by him. Frazier also sang several duets with Smith on the project. Before leaving her contract with RCA, the label released more LPs, including the compilation ''[[Dream Painter]]'' (1973).{{sfn|Mazor|2012|p=47}} Its [[Dream Painter (song)|title track]] charted in the ''Billboard'' top 40.<ref name="whitburn"/>

===1973–1979: Record label switches, pop music incorporation and semi-retirement===
In 1973, RCA promised to give Smith a better royalty and more creative control if she renewed her contract. In an updated contract, these terms were not met. Upon hiring a lawyer, she left RCA and was offered a contract by [[Columbia Records]].{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=11}} In 1973, Smith signed a new recording contract with Columbia Records.<ref name="singsherhits">{{cite web|last=Jurek|first=Thom|title=''Connie Smith Sings Her Hits'' > Review|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r387487|pure_url=yes}}|website=Allmusic|access-date=August 14, 2010}}</ref> The label gave her more creative control including the opportunity record one gospel album per year.<ref name="allmusicbio"/> At Columbia, she met with [[Clive Davis]], who agreed to produce her. However, the label dismissed Davis before they could work together. Instead, producer [[Billy Sherrill]] chose to work with Smith. However, a disagreement about religion ended the pairing before it began. She started recording alongside producer [[George Richey]], who recently had success writing material for [[George Jones]] and [[Tammy Wynette]].{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=11}}

At Columbia, Smith was pressured into recording with more pop production than before. "From Day One at the new label, even more than before, it was a constant tussle, because I just am who I am," recalled Smith.{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=9}} However, she remained active in song selection and the recording process.{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=18-21}} Smith's first Columbia LP titled ''[[A Lady Named Smith]]'' (1973) included pop production such as string instrumentation and overdubbed background vocals.{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=37-39}} The LP reached number 31 on the ''Billboard'' country albums chart.<ref name="Country Albums"/> Richey agreed to release "[[Ain't Love a Good Thing]]" as her first Columbia single. Instead, the Richey-Smith co-written song "[[You've Got Me (Right Where You Want Me)]]" proved to be the first label single. The decision disappointed Smith enough that she chose to end their professional relationship.{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=12}} The last Richey-produced project was Smith's first Columbia gospel LP titled ''[[God Is Abundant]]''. The album of religious material climbed to number 20 on the ''Billboard'' country albums chart.<ref name="Country Albums"/>{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=38-39}}

[[File:Connie Smith--1974.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Smith performing at the ''Grand Ole Opry'' with her daughter on her arm, 1974.]]
Smith chose [[Ray Baker (music producer)|Ray Baker]] to serve as her next producer. Baker had operated a publishing company and produced several song demos that prompted Smith to choose him. The pair had a more agreeable relationship and recorded together throughout the decade.{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=13}} Baker produced Smith's next Columbia album titled ''[[That's the Way Love Goes (Connie Smith album)|That's the Way Love Goes]]'' (1974). The LP featured several original recordings and cover tunes. The album included "Ain't Love a Good Thing", which was released as a single and became her eighteenth top 10 song on the ''Billboard'' country chart.<ref name="whitburn"/>{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=41-42}} Although she recorded two gospel projects in 1974, the label waited until 1975 to release both LPs.{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=15}} Instead, Columbia released a secular project titled ''[[I Never Knew (What That Song Meant Before)]]'' (1974).{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=20}} Its [[I Never Knew (What That Song Meant Before) (song)|title track]] became a top 20 ''Billboard'' country single, peaking at number 13.<ref name="whitburn"/> It was followed in 1975 by the traditional country LP ''[[I Got a Lot of Hurtin' Done Today/I've Got My Baby On My Mind]]''.{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=20}} Both "[[I've Got My Baby on My Mind]]" and Smith's cover of [[Hank Williams]]'s "[[Why Don't You Love Me (Hank Williams song)|Why Don't You Love Me]]" reached the country top 20.<ref name="whitburn"/>

Music critics noticed a change in Smith's vocals following her Columbia switch. When reviewing the compilation, ''Connie Smith Sings Her Hits'', Thom Jurek of Allmusic commented that she lost the "grain" in her voice. Jurek went on to write "It could be said, that regardless of the material, she never made a bad record; the tunes were carefully chosen it's true, but she never tried to hide the hardcore twang in her vocal style."<ref name="singsherhits"/> Smith's biographer, Barry Mazor, found her voice to "lower in range by this point" and saw evidence of Columbia attempting to "push her recorded vocal into the upper end of her range".{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=13}} Other critics noticed stylistic changes but observed no change in her singing. NPR's Ken Tucker found her recordings in this era to feature more pop instrumentation but did not "obscure the passion and pain she communicated so fearlessly".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tucker |first1=Ken |title=Connie Smith shines as an interpreter of heartbreak on 2 new releases |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/02/07/1078854850/connie-smith-shines-as-an-interpreter-of-heartbreak-on-2-new-releases |access-date=28 June 2022 |work=[[NPR]] |date=February 7, 2022}}</ref>

In 1975, Columbia released both of her 1974 gospel projects.{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=15}} The first was ''[[Connie Smith Sings Hank Williams Gospel]]''. For the album, Smith and Baker went through the Hank Williams catalog where they came across a series of never-before-released gospel songs.{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=44-45}} The result was the first album of Hank Williams gospel material recorded by another artist.{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=21-22}} In 1976, the project was nominated by the Grammy Awards for [[Best Gospel Performance]].<ref name="Grammys">{{cite web |title=Connie Smith: Artist |url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/connie-smith/17418 |website=[[Grammy Awards]] |access-date=30 April 2022}}</ref> The second 1975 religious LP was the gospel influenced [[Christmas music|Christmas]] album titled ''[[Joy to the World (Connie Smith album)|Joy to the World]]''.{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=22-23}} In 1976, Columbia issued two more country albums of Smith's material: ''[[The Song We Fell in Love To]]'' and ''[[I Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore]]''.{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=24}} Both LPs peaked in the ''Billboard'' country albums top 40.<ref name="Country Albums"/> The albums included the number 13 country single "[[I Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore (song)|I Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore]]" and her twentieth top 10, a remake of [[The Everly Brothers]]'s "[[(Till) I Kissed You]]".<ref name="whitburn"/> The latter was Smith's second single to top Canada's ''RPM'' country chart.<ref name="rpm"/>

In 1977 Smith moved to [[Fred Foster]]'s Nashville label [[Monument Records]]. She was pressured into recording more country pop material than before and was given singing lessons by a songwriter. "He [Fred Foster] wanted to mold me into something That I wasn't comfortable with," Smith commented. "That's why that never worked."{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=24}} AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine found her Monument music to have "state-of-the-art production that dates instantly, walks the line between crossover pop and country-pop rather clumsly, and lacks good material."<ref name="Monument Albums">{{cite web |last1=Erlewine |first1=Stephen Thomas |title=''Greatest Hits on Monument'': Connie Smith: Songs, reviews, credits |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/greatest-hits-on-monument-mw0000095034 |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=28 June 2022}}</ref> Monument released two LPs of Smith's material between 1977 and 1978.{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=24}} Her only commercially successful Monument single was a cover of [[Andy Gibb]]'s "[[I Just Want to Be Your Everything]]". The single climbed to number 14 on the ''Billboard'' country chart. Yet, her other Monument releases reached progressively-lower positions on the country chart between 1978 and 1979.<ref name="Monument Albums"/> Furthermore, Smith had five children by this point and felt pressured to be at home with her family. Ultimately, Smith decided to leave her country music career entirely to focus on raising her children and tending to her religious needs.{{sfn|Mazor|2021|p=24}}

===1983–present: Return to recording and performing===
For three years, Smith remained in semi-retirement, committing only to occasional performances at the ''Grand Ole Opry'', where she remained a member. At the Opry, she only performed gospel songs. However, she decided to return to her career in 1983. She re-signed with Monument Records, but left after label filed for bankruptcy. Instead, singer and songwriter [[Ricky Skaggs]] helped her secure a new recording contract to [[Epic Records]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hurst |first1=Jack |title=AFTER YEARS OF TRYING TO GET OUT, CONNIE SMITH TRYING TO GET BACK IN |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-07-28-8502190461-story.html |access-date=29 June 2022 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=July 28, 1985}}</ref>{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=28}} The first single, "[[A Far Cry from You]]" (1985), was written by [[Alternative country]] artist [[Steve Earle]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=Connie Smith – Too Cool to Be Forgotten |journal=[[No Depression (magazine)|No Depression]] |date=September 1, 1998 |url=https://www.nodepression.com/connie-smith-too-cool-to-be-forgotten/2/ |access-date=29 June 2022}}</ref> It reached number 71 on the Hot Country Songs chart.<ref name="whitburn"/>

One day in the mid-1990s, Smith was at her home talking to one of her daughters on the phone. After telling her mother what she was going to do that night, her daughter asked Smith what her plans for that night were. Because she did not have anything fun planned, Smith lied so her daughter wouldn't have to worry about her. After the conversation ended, Smith realized that she didn't need her own children worrying about her at the start of their adult lives and decided that it was time to return to her career.<ref name="interview"/> With country artist [[Marty Stuart]] (whom she later married in 1997), acting as the album's main producer, Smith signed a recording contract with [[Warner Bros. Records]] in 1996. Although the label preferred her to record an album of duets, Smith decided to go by her own terms and record a solo studio album. In October 1998 she released her [[Connie Smith (1998 album)|second self-titled studio album]].{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=30}} It consisted of ten tracks, nine of them co-written by both Smith and Stuart.<ref name="countryuniverse">{{cite web|last=Coyne|first=Kevin John|title=100 Greatest Women – Connie Smith (#24) |date=June 8, 2008 |url=http://www.countryuniverse.net/2008/06/07/100-greatest-women-24-connie-smith |publisher=Country Universe|access-date=August 15, 2010}}</ref>

Smith's 1998 project attracted limited commercial attention, but was given critical praise for its traditional and contemporary style. Kurt Wolff of the book ''Country Music: The [[Rough Guides|Rough Guide]]'' commented that the album sounded "far gutsier than anything in the [[Reba McEntire|Reba]] and [[Garth Brooks|Garth]] mainstream".<ref name="roughguide"/> Thom Jurek of Allmusic gave the release four out of five stars, calling it "a solid effort", also commenting "it stands head and shoulders over most of the stuff that's come out of Nash Vegas in over a decade. Even if it doesn't sell a copy, it's a triumphant return for Smith. She hasn't lost a whit of her gift as a singer or as a writer."<ref name="ConnieSmithWarnerBros">{{cite web|last=Jurek|first=Thom |title=''Connie Smith'' (1998) > Review|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r377744|pure_url=yes}} |website=Allmusic|access-date=August 15, 2010}}</ref> Also in 1998, Smith made a second cameo appearance in a film, portraying a "Singer at the Rodeo Dance" in ''[[The Hi-Lo Country]]'' starring [[Woody Harrelson]] and [[Billy Crudup]].

[[File:Connie Smith.jpg|thumb|left|Smith on stage at the Grand Ole Opry]]
In August 2003, she released a gospel album with country artists [[Barbara Fairchild]] and [[Sharon White (singer)|Sharon White]] titled ''[[Love Never Fails (2003 album)|Love Never Fails]]'' on Daywind Records.<ref name="countryuniverse"/> In an interview with ''Country Stars Central'', Smith said that she was ill with the [[stomach flu]] while recording the album, but still enjoyed making the record.<ref name="Country Stars Central"/> Produced by country and bluegrass performer [[Ricky Skaggs]] (White's husband), the album received a nomination from the [[Dove Awards]]. The website Slipcue.com reviewed the release and stated that ''Love Never Fails'' "is probably too rowdy for most [[Southern gospel]] fans (who really like tinkly pianos and less-twangy vocals), and while it probably won't wow many country listeners, for folks who are fans any of these three singers, this is kind of a treat.<ref>{{cite web|title=Connie Smith CD discography|url=http://www.slipcue.com/music/country/countryartists/conniesmith.html |publisher=Slipcue.com|access-date=August 15, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090805162536/http://www.slipcue.com/music/country/countryartists/conniesmith.html |archive-date=August 5, 2009}}</ref>

In November 2008, Smith joined the cast of [[Marty Stuart]]'s television series ''The Marty Stuart Show'', which aired on the [[RFD-TV]] network every Saturday night. The thirty-minute program featured traditional country music performed by both Stuart and Smith, as well as radio personality [[Eddie Stubbs]].<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Marty Stuart Show kicks off Saturday |url=http://www.countrystandardtime.com/news/newsitem.asp?xid=2244|magazine=[[Country Standard Time]]|access-date=August 15, 2010}}</ref> The show stopped airing on RFD-TV in 2014.<ref name="RFD">{{cite magazine |last1=Weeks |first1=Isaac |title=Rural America's Hottest Cable Channel Scrambles to Replace Country Music's Beloved 'Marty Stuart' Show |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/7973581/rural-america-cable-channel-replace-country-music-marty-stuart-show |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=May 24, 2021}}</ref> In August 2011 Smith released her first new solo recording in thirteen years, entitled ''[[Long Line of Heartaches]]'' via [[Sugar Hill Records (bluegrass label)|Sugar Hill Records]]. The record was produced by Marty Stuart and included five songs written by the pair. [[Harlan Howard]], [[Kostas Lazarides|Kostas]], [[Johnny Russell (singer)|Johnny Russell]], and [[Dallas Frazier]] also wrote tracks that were included on the disc.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Upcoming and Recent CD Releases|url=http://www.countrystandardtime.com/cdreleases.asp|magazine=[[Country Standard Time]]|access-date=May 20, 2011}}</ref> The album was reviewed positively by AllMusic's Steve Leggett, who gave it four stars. "It wouldn't be quite right to call this a throwback album, but it does sound like vintage traditional country given just a bit of a polished edge," he concluded.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Leggett |first1=Steve |title=''Long Line of Heartaches'': Connie Smith: Songs, reviews, credits |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/long-line-of-heartaches-mw0002189781 |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=May 22, 2021}}</ref> Andrew Mueller of ''BBC'' also gave it a positive response, calling it "classic and classicist country songs".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mueller |first1=Andrew |title=Smith's first LP since 1998, both classic and classicist in feel |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/v86m/ |website=[[BBC]] |access-date=May 22, 2021}}</ref>

In August 2021, Smith's next studio album was released on the [[Fat Possum Records|Fat Possum]] label titled ''[[The Cry of the Heart (album)|The Cry of the Heart]]''. It was the third project produced by Stuart and her first album of new material in ten years.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Crone |first1=Madeline |title=Connie Smith Shares Marty Stuart-Produced 'The Cry of the Heart', Her First LP in Over A Decade |magazine=[[American Songwriter]] |date=August 2021 |url=https://americansongwriter.com/connie-smith-shares-marty-stuart-produced-the-cry-of-the-heart-her-first-lp-in-over-a-decade/ |access-date=30 April 2022}}</ref> ''The New York Times'' described ''The Cry of the Heart'' to evoke the traditional styles that "recall Smith's '60s era recordings".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Osmon |first1=Erin |title=54 Albums Later, Connie Smith's Defiant Heart Has Plenty to Say |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/19/arts/music/connie-smith-cry-of-the-heart.html |access-date=30 April 2022 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 19, 2021}}</ref> It was Smith's first album since 1976 to reach a charting position on ''Billboard'', peaking on the [[Current Album Sales]] chart following its release.<ref name="Album Sales">{{cite magazine |title=''The Cry of the Heart'' chart history |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/connie-smith/chart-history/tcl/ |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=1 September 2021}}</ref> ''PopMatters'' gave the album an 8/10 rating and concluded "If you wanted to understand what traditional country is, you could go to the same place today as you could have 50 years ago: a Connie Smith record."<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Cober-Lake |first1=Justin |title=Connie Smith Returns with Power on 'The Cry of the Heart' |magazine=[[PopMatters]] |date=August 23, 2021 |url=https://www.popmatters.com/connie-smith-cry-heart-review |access-date=30 April 2022}}</ref>

==Personal life==
[[File:Connie Smith--Marshall Haynes.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Connie Smith on the day of her wedding to third husband, Marshall Haynes, 1972.]]
Smith has been married four times. In 1961, she married Jerry Smith, a ferro-analyst at the Inter-Lake Iron Corporation in Beverly, Ohio. They had one child together, born on 9 March 1963, named Darren Justin. (In the late 1970s, Darren went to Europe to become a missionary; he is currently a psychologist.)<ref name="interview"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Larken |first=Collin |title=Connie Smith Biography|url=http://www.oldies.com/artist-biography/Connie-Smith.html |website=Oldies.com|access-date=August 16, 2010}}</ref> In the mid-1960s, the couple divorced and Smith married the guitarist in her touring band, Jack Watkins. They had a son before separating nearly a year after marrying. Shortly afterward, Smith married telephone repairman Marshall Haynes. In the early 1970s, Haynes frequently toured with Connie on her road show. The couple had three daughters.{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=28}}

After divorcing Haynes in the early 1990s, Smith stated that she never would marry again.<ref name="interview"/> However, on 8 July 1997, she married for the fourth time, this time to her producer, country artist [[Marty Stuart]]. Stuart began producing her after writing songs for Smith's 1998 [[Connie Smith (1998 album)|comeback album]]. Stuart described encountering Smith 26 years earlier, after attending her concert: "I met Connie when I was 12 years old. She came to the Indian reservation in my hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi to work at a fair. She hasn't changed a bit. She looked great then and she looks great now."<ref>{{cite web|title=Spirits Of Marty Stuart And Connie Smith Finally Unite (first appeared in a printing of ''Country Weekly'' in 1997) |url=http://www.martystuart.com/zart-cw-8-12-97.htm|publisher=Marty Stuart.com|access-date=August 16, 2010}}</ref> Stuart said he told his mother then that he was going to marry Connie Smith. Smith explains how they have sustained their marriage : "Make the Lord the center...and commit."<ref>{{cite web |last=Gallagher|first=Pat|title=Connie Smith and Marty Stuart Offer Marriage Tips|url=http://www.theboot.com/2010/07/08/connie-smith-marty-stuart |publisher=The Boot|website=TheBoot.com|date=July 8, 2010|access-date=August 16, 2010}}</ref>

Smith revealed in a ''New York Times'' interview that she had been diagnosed with [[COVID-19]] in February 2021. She was hospitalized, developing [[sepsis]] and pneumonia. She eventually made a full recovery.<ref name="NY Times"/> "They asked me if my heart stopped, did I want to be revived, and I said 'Of course, I don't want to be a COVID statistic,'" she told the ''Nashville Scene''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Himes |first1=Geoffrey |title=Connie Smith and Marty Stuart Apply Natural Grace on The Cry of the Heart |journal=Nashville Scene |date=August 19, 2021 |url=https://www.nashvillescene.com/music/features/connie-smith-and-marty-stuart-apply-natural-grace-on-i-the-cry-of-the-heart/article_af8fe412-ff8c-11eb-a611-570a7e4bc6ac.html |access-date=24 February 2022}}</ref>

==Musical styles and vocal ability==
Connie Smith's sound is defined by the [[Nashville Sound]] musical style, primarily during her breakthrough years in the 1960s. While most Nashville Sound recordings of the time mainly included full orchestras, Smith's sound remained more traditional with its use of [[steel guitar]] and her twangy vocals, while still featuring some pop-influenced instrumentation to provide urban pop appeal. Critics have largely praised Smith's use of the steel guitar, which have often been described as "sharp" and "prominent".<ref name="roughguide"/> Her steel guitar player [[Weldon Myrick]] is often credited with creating what Smith has called "The Connie Smith Sound". In an interview with [[Colin Escott]] in his book ''Born to Sing'', Myrick recalls how Smith's producer ([[Bob Ferguson (music)|Bob Ferguson]]) wanted the guitar to sound, "He came out and said he wanted a bright sound, and he adjusted my controls. I thought it was an awfully thin sound, but it wound up being very popular."{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=12}}

Smith's vocal delivery has also been considered to be part of her musical style. Writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted in 2012 that Smith sings with a "cool, authoritative ease, a skill that brought her to the attention of some of Nashville's finest songwriters."<ref name="Erlewine 4674"/> Mary A. Bufwack and Robert K. Oermann called her singing "a pillar-of-fire delivery sobbed with desolation."{{sfn|Bufwack|Oermann|2003|p=292}} Thom Jurek of AllMusic stated that Smith's vocals offer "sophisticated emotional delivery" and that "her control and phrasing remain a high-water mark today."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jurek |first1=Thom |title=''Born to Sing'': Connie Smith: Songs, reviews, credits |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/born-to-sing-box-mw0000004326 |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=May 23, 2021}}</ref>

==Legacy and honors==
[[File:Connie Smith-Opry 3.jpg|thumb|left|160px|Smith at the ''Grand Ole Opry'', 2007.]]
Smith is considered by many critics and historians to be one of country music's more celebrated and respected artists.<ref name="countryuniverse"/><ref name="allmusicbio"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Jurek|first=Thom|title=''Born to Sing'': Review|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r587389|pure_url=yes}}|website=Allmusic|access-date=August 16, 2010}}</ref> In his review of Smith's 1996 compilation ''[[The Essential Connie Smith]]'', Jurek explained why Smith's vocals are usually compared to Cline's, "Connie Smith is perhaps the only female singer in the history of country music who can truly claim to be the heiress to Patsy Cline's throne. It's not that there aren't many amazing vocalists in the field, and plenty of legends among them. But in terms of the pure gift of interpretation of taking virtually any song and making it a country song of class and distinction, Smith is it."<ref>{{cite web|last=Jurek|first=Thom|title=''The Essential Connie Smith'' > Review|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r233619|pure_url=yes}}|website=Allmusic|access-date=August 16, 2010}}</ref>

Writers and journalists have also cited Smith as an integral piece of country music history. Mary A. Bufwack and Robert K. Oermann categorized her as one of country's "heroines of heartbreak", due to her emotional vocal delivery. Bufwack and Oermann further stated that along with [[Tammy Wynette]], Smith was among the genre's "most towering country voices of the 1960s and 1970s" who "sang from the depths of despair" and "spoke for conservative Middle America in both music and life."{{sfn|Bufwack|Oermann|2003|p=292}}

Many artists in the country music industry have cited Smith as a significant musical influence or one of their favorite musical artists. [[George Jones]] cited Smith as his favorite female singer in his 1995 autobiography.<ref name="countryuniverse"/> [[Elvis Presley]] had many of Smith's albums in his record collection at his [[Graceland]] home and intended on recording Smith's version of "[[The Wonders You Perform]]", but never got around to doing so.<ref name="interview"/> In a discussion with country songwriter [[Fred Foster]], [[Dolly Parton]] famously said "You know, there's really only three female singers in the world: [[Barbra Streisand]], [[Linda Ronstadt]], and Connie Smith. The rest of us are only pretending."{{sfn|Escott|2001|p=1}}

Smith has been given honors and achievements as part of her legacy. In 2002, she was ranked in the top ten of ''[[Country Music Television|CMT]]''s televised special of the ''40 Greatest Women of Country Music''.<ref>{{cite web |title=40 Greatest Women Announced |url=http://www.cmt.com/news/1457238/40-greatest-women-announced/ |website=[[Country Music Television]] |access-date=June 25, 2020}}</ref> In 2011, she was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.<ref name="WV">{{cite web |title=Connie Smith |url=https://www.wvmusichalloffame.com/hof_csmith.html |website=West Virginia Music Hall of Fame |access-date=May 23, 2021}}</ref> Alongside [[Garth Brooks]], Smith was inducted into the [[Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum|Country Music Hall of Fame]] in 2012. "Just to be in the company of the great [[Kitty Wells]] is enough," she commented after hearing the news.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Morris |first1=Edward |title=Garth Brooks, Connie Smith Named to Country Music Hall of Fame |url=http://www.cmt.com/news/1680526/garth-brooks-connie-smith-named-to-country-music-hall-of-fame/ |website=[[Country Music Television]] |access-date=May 23, 2021}}</ref> In 2015, she celebrated 50 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry radio broadcast. Her celebration was honored in a performance joined by [[Alison Krauss]] and [[Mel Tillis]], among others.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Thanki |first1=Juli |title=Connie Smith celebrates 50 years with Grand Ole Opry |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/2015/08/04/connie-smith-celebrates-50-years-grand-ole-opry/30567257/ |website=[[The Tennessean]] |access-date=May 23, 2021}}</ref> In 2017, she was ranked on ''Rolling Stone'''s list of the "100 Greatest Country Artists of All-Time".<ref name="RS 100">{{cite magazine |last1=Johnston |first1=Maura |author-link=Maura Johnston |title=100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time (Lynn Anderson) |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-country-artists-of-all-time-195775/lynn-anderson-2-196673/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=June 25, 2020}}</ref>

In March 2021, Smith's legacy was further cemented by the [[Library of Congress]], which added "Once a Day" to the [[National Recording Registry]].<ref>{{cite web |title=National Recording Registry Adds 'Rhythm Nation' Among 25 New Selections |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-21-015/national-recording-registry-adds-rhythm-nation-among-25-new-selections/2021-03-24/ |website=[[Library of Congress]] |access-date=May 23, 2021}}</ref> In April 2021, Smith's husband, Marty Stuart, announced a documentary to be released about her life and career titled ''Connie: The Cry of the Heart''. "Studying the depth of what Marty and Connie have achieved in the industry and then discovering their ability to predict the business trends around their legacy makes me very excited to be part of what they are doing," said Nick Kontonicolas, who will help broadcast the documentary on his network.<ref>{{cite web |title=Marty Stuart To Honor His Wife Connie Smith In New Television Production |url=http://www.noise11.com/news/marty-stuart-to-honor-his-wife-connie-smith-in-new-television-production-20210423 |website=Noise 11 |date=April 23, 2021 |access-date=May 23, 2021}}</ref>

==Discography==
{{Main|Connie Smith albums discography|Connie Smith singles discography|List of songs recorded by Connie Smith}}

'''Studio albums'''
{{div col}}
*''[[Connie Smith (1965 album)|Connie Smith]]'' (1965)
*''[[Cute 'n' Country]]'' (1965)
*''[[Miss Smith Goes to Nashville]]'' (1966)
*''[[Connie Smith Sings Great Sacred Songs]]'' (1966)
*''[[Born to Sing (Connie Smith album)|Born to Sing]]'' (1966)
*''[[Downtown Country]]'' (1967)
*''[[Connie in the Country]]'' (1967)
*''[[Connie Smith Sings Bill Anderson]]'' (1967)
*''[[Soul of Country Music]]'' (1967)
*''[[I Love Charley Brown]]'' (1968)
*''[[Sunshine and Rain]]'' (1968)
*''[[Connie's Country]]'' (1969)
*''[[Young Love (Connie Smith and Nat Stuckey album)|Young Love]]'' {{small|(with [[Nat Stuckey]])}} (1969)
*''[[Back in Baby's Arms]]'' (1969)
*''[[Sunday Morning with Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith]]'' {{small|(with Nat Stuckey)}} (1970)
*''[[I Never Once Stopped Loving You]]'' (1970)
*''[[Where Is My Castle]]'' (1971)
*''[[Just One Time (album)|Just One Time]]'' (1971)
*''[[Come Along and Walk with Me]]'' (1971)
*''[[Ain't We Havin' Us a Good Time]]'' (1972)
*''[[If It Ain't Love and Other Great Dallas Frazier Songs]]'' (1972)
*''[[A Lady Named Smith]]'' (1973)
*''[[God Is Abundant]]'' (1973)
*''[[That's the Way Love Goes (Connie Smith album)|That's the Way Love Goes]]'' (1974)
*''[[I Never Knew (What That Song Meant Before)]]'' (1974)
*''[[I Got a Lot of Hurtin' Done Today/I've Got My Baby On My Mind]]'' (1975)
*''[[Connie Smith Sings Hank Williams Gospel]]'' (1975)
*''[[Joy to the World (Connie Smith album)|Joy to the World]]'' (1975)
*''[[The Song We Fell in Love To]]'' (1976)
*''[[I Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore]]'' (1976)
*''[[Pure Connie Smith]]'' (1977)
*''[[New Horizons (Connie Smith album)|New Horizons]]'' (1978)
*''[[The Best of Connie Smith (1989 album)|The Best of Connie Smith]]'' (1989)
*''By Request'' (1995)<ref>{{cite web |title=Connie Smith - Connie Smith by Request |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/connie-smith-by-request-mw0000971944 |website=AllMusic |access-date=August 2, 2022 |date=1995}}</ref>
*''Clinging to a Saving Hand'' (1995)<ref>{{cite web |title=Connie Smith - Clinging to a Saving Hand |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/clinging-to-a-saving-hand-mw0000961429 |website=AllMusic |access-date=August 2, 2022 |date=1995}}</ref>
*''[[Connie Smith (1998 album)|Connie Smith]]'' (1998)
*''[[Love Never Fails (Barbara Fairchild, Connie Smith and Sharon White album)|Love Never Fails]]'' {{small|(with [[Barbara Fairchild]] and [[Sharon White (singer)|Sharon White]])}} (2003)
*''[[Long Line of Heartaches]]'' (2011)
*''[[The Cry of the Heart (album)|The Cry of the Heart]]'' (2021)
*''Love, Prison, Wisdom and Heartaches'' (2024)<ref>{{cite web |title=Connie Smith/Love, Prison, Wisdom And Heartaches |url=https://tower.jp/item/6324559/Love,-Prison,-Wisdom-And-Heartaches |website=tower.jp |access-date=April 7, 2024}}</ref>
{{div col end}}

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! width=50%| Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
! {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1966
| ''[[The Las Vegas Hillbillys]]''
| Herself
| cameo
| align="center"| {{sfn|Bufwack|Oermann|2003|p=294}}
|-
| ''Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar''
| Herself
| cameo
| align="center"| {{sfn|Bufwack|Oermann|2003|p=294}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1967
| ''[[The Road to Nashville]]''
| Herself 
| cameo
| align="center"| {{sfn|Bufwack|Oermann|2003|p=294}}
|-
| ''[[Hell on Wheels (1967 film)|Hell on Wheels]]''
| Herself
| cameo
| align="center"| {{sfn|Bufwack|Oermann|2003|p=294}}
|-
| 1998
| ''[[The Hi-Lo Country]]''
| Singer at rodeo dance
| 
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite journal |title=Sight and Sound |journal=[[University of California]] |date=1999 |volume=9 |issue=7–12 |page=45}}</ref>
|-
| 2008–2014
| ''The Marty Stuart Show''
| Herself
| 153 episodes
| align="center"| <ref name="RFD"/>
|-
|}

== Awards, nominations and honors ==
{{awards table}}
!{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| 1964 
| [[Billboard Magazine]]
| Most Promising Female Country Artist
| {{won}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| rowspan=8| 1965
| rowspan=3| [[Grammy Awards]]
| Best Country and Western Single – "Once a Day"
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| <ref name="Grammys"/>
|-
| Best New Country and Western Artist
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Country & Western Vocal Performance, Female – "Once a Day"
| {{nom}}
|-
| Billboard Magazine
| Most Promising Female Country Artist
| {{won}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| rowspan=2| Billboard Magazine
| Favorite Female Country Performer
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| Favorite Album (1964–1965) – ''Connie Smith''
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| [[Cash Box]]
| Most Promising Female Country Vocalist
| {{won}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| Country Music Review
| Most Promising Female Singer
| {{won}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| rowspan=8| 1966
| rowspan=2| Grammy Awards
| Best Sacred Recording – ''Connie Smith Sings Great Sacred Songs''
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref name="Grammys"/>
|-
| Best Country and Western Vocal Performance, Female – "Ain't Had No Lovin'"
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=2| Billboard Magazine
| Favorite Female Country Performer
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| Favorite Country Album – ''Cute 'n' Country''
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| Cash Box
| Most Programmed Female Artist
| {{won}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| Country Music Life Award
| Favorite Female Artist
| {{won}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| rowspan=2| ''[[Record World]]''
| Top Female Vocalist
| {{won}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| Most Outstanding Female Country and Western Vocalist
| {{won}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| rowspan=4| 1967
| ''Billboard Magazine''
| Top Country Artist, Female Vocalist
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| ''Cash Box''
| Most Programmed Female Artist
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| ''Record World''
| Top Female Vocalist
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| [[Country Music Association Awards]]
| Female Vocalist of the Year
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| 1968
| Grammy Awards
| Best Country & Western Solo Vocal Performance, Female – "Cincinnati, Ohio"
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref name="Grammys"/>
|-
| rowspan=2| 1969
| [[Academy of Country Music]]
| Top Female Vocalist
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |title=Search winners: Connie Smith |url=https://www.acmcountry.com/winners?awardTitle=Connie+smith&awardCategory=&awardYear=&actionButton=Submit |website=[[Academy of Country Music]] |access-date=30 April 2022}}</ref>
|-
| Grammy Awards
| Best Country Vocal Performance, Female – "Ribbon of Darkness"
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref name="Grammys"/>
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1970
| Country Music Association
| Female Vocalist of the Year
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref name="CMA">{{cite web |title=CMA Past Winners & Nominees: Connie Smith |url=https://cmaawards.com/past-winners-and-nominees/?appSession=3U516LS448S2YE020XIDGW8468HX8T0U62G5GFAP0T32V0J8EV37AQXX90OK4CYJ08RKMY72OT1T9TK357CDX11R1QBNY484K65PO5L0074PF5939E9941HAN65C9DN1 |website=[[Country Music Association]] |access-date=30 April 2022}}</ref>
|-
| ''Record World''
| Top Female Vocalist
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite journal |title=Record World Awards |journal=[[Record World]] |date=October 18, 1969 |page=11 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/60s/69/Record-World-1969-10-18.pdf |access-date=11 February 2023}}</ref>
|-
| 1971
| Grammy Awards
| Best Sacred Performance – "Whispering Hope" (with [[Nat Stuckey]])
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref name="Grammys"/>
|-
| rowspan=2| 1972
| [[CMT Music Awards|Music City News Awards]]
| Top Female Vocalist
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| Country Music Association
| Female Vocalist of the Year
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref name="CMA"/>
|-
| rowspan=2| 1974
| Grammy Awards
| Best Inspirational Performance – "All the Praises"
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref name="Grammys"/>
|-
| Music City News Awards
| Top Female Vocalist
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| 1975
| Music City News Awards
| Top Female Vocalist
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| {{sfn|Escott|2001|p=36}}
|-
| 1976
| Grammy Awards
| Best Gospel Performance – ''Connie Smith Sings Hank Williams Gospel''
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref name="Grammys"/>
|-
| 1979
| Music City News Awards
| Gospel Group/Act of the Year
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|title=Connie Smith: Awards|url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/smith_connie/awards.jhtml|publisher=Country Music Television|access-date=August 17, 2010}}</ref>
|-
| 2002
| [[Country Music Television]]
| 40 Greatest Women of Country Music 
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite news |last1=Shelburne |first1=Craig |title=Fine Women and Song: Country's 40 Greatest Women |url=http://www.cmt.com/news/1457255/fine-women-and-song-countrys-40-greatest-women/ |access-date=30 April 2022 |work=[[Country Music Television]] |date=August 29, 2002}}</ref>
|-
| 2007
| Country Universe
| 100 Greatest Women – Rank (#24)
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|title=100 Greatest Women|date=March 11, 2008 |url=http://www.countryuniverse.net/features/100-greatest-women/|publisher=Country Universe|access-date=August 17, 2010}}</ref>
|-
| 2010
| Grammy Awards
| Best Country Collaboration with Vocals – "Run to You" (with [[Marty Stuart]])
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref name="Grammys"/><ref>{{cite web|title=2011 Grammy Award Nominees|url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees?year=2010&genre=8|publisher=[[Grammy Awards]]|access-date=January 16, 2011}}</ref>
|-
| 2011
| West Virginia Music Hall of Fame
| Inducted
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref name="WV"/>
|-
| 2012
| Country Music Association
| Country Music Hall of Fame induction
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |title=Connie Smith – Country Music Hall of Fame |url=https://countrymusichalloffame.org/artist/connie-smith/ |website=[[Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum]] |access-date=September 7, 2019}}</ref>
|-
| 2017
| ''Rolling Stone''
| 100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time – Rank (#69)
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite magazine |title=100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country-lists/100-greatest-country-artists-of-all-time-195775/alison-krauss-2-195992/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=February 1, 2019}}</ref>
|-
|}

==References==
===Footnotes===
{{Reflist|2}}

===Books===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last1=Escott |first1=Colin |title=Born to Sing (Box Set Biography) |date=May 8, 2001 |publisher=[[Bear Family Records]] |isbn=3-89795-770-1}}
* {{cite book |last1=Mazor |first1=Barry |title=Just for What I Am (Box Set Biography) |date=February 27, 2012 |publisher=[[Bear Family Records]] |isbn=978-3-89916-638-5}}
* {{cite book |last1=Mazor |first1=Barry |title=''The Latest Shade of Blue: The Columbia Recordings 1973 – 1976'' (Box Set Biography) |date=November 5, 2021 |publisher=[[Bear Family Records]] |id=BCD-17609}}
* {{cite book |last2=Oermann |first2=Robert K. |last1=Bufwack |first1=Mary A. |title=Finding Her Voice: Women in Country Music: 1800–2000 |date=2003 |publisher=The Country Music Press & Vanderbilt University Press |location=Nashville, TN |isbn=0-8265-1432-4 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/findinghervoicew0000bufw}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|0807758}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090618182956/http://www.opry.com/MeetTheOpry/Members.aspx?id=104 Connie Smith at the Grand Ole Opry's website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090805162536/http://www.slipcue.com/music/country/countryartists/conniesmith.html Connie Smith Discography at Slipcue.com]
* August 20, 2021, [https://www.npr.org/2021/08/20/1029822334/with-her-54th-album-connie-smith-re-affirms-that-she-is-country-music ''With Her 54th Album, Connie Smith Re-Affirms That She 'Is' Country Music''], [[All Things Considered]] interview with [[Ailsa Chang]]

{{Connie Smith}}
{{Connie Smith singles}}
{{Grand Ole Opry members}}
{{West Virginia Music Hall of Fame}}
{{2010s Country Music Hall of Fame}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Connie}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:21st-century American composers]]
[[Category:American country singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:American women country singers]]
[[Category:American gospel singers]]
[[Category:Columbia Records artists]]
[[Category:Country Music Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Country musicians from Indiana]]
[[Category:Country musicians from Ohio]]
[[Category:Country musicians from West Virginia]]
[[Category:Epic Records artists]]
[[Category:Grand Ole Opry members]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the Country Music Association]]
[[Category:Monument Records artists]]
[[Category:Musicians from Cincinnati]]
[[Category:People from Elkhart, Indiana]]
[[Category:RCA Records Nashville artists]]
[[Category:Singer-songwriters from Ohio]]
[[Category:Warner Records artists]]
[[Category:21st-century American women composers]]
[[Category:Singer-songwriters from Indiana]]
[[Category:Singer-songwriters from West Virginia]]