Michael W Smith Biography, Age, Family Life, Net Worth, Albums & Songs

Music is the language we all speak regardless of our creed, culture and race. It is the fabric that unites us in perfect harmony. If music is the word of a spiritual entity, there are those who have given themselves as prophets of the word, delivering it to the rest of us in its purity and excellence. Each prophet finds the form that best suits his expression, like Michael W Smith, who chose the path of contemporary Christian music. He made a name for himself as a purveyor of music to a Christian audience. Read on and learn more about this multiple Grammy winner.

Michael W Smith Biography (Age)

The church means so much to various people; for Michael W Smith, it’s where he fell in love with music. Born in Kenova, West Virginia on October 7, 1957, Smith’s parents (Paul and Barbara Smith) took him to church regularly. He eventually fell in love with the piano and eventually joined the church choir.

By the age of 10, Michael Whitaker Smith’s connection to the church had deepened and he became a devoted member of the Christian faith. However, he had a crisis of faith when his friends left for college. Lonely and alienated, he found solace in alcohol and drugs.

During his journey as a backslidden Christian, he began to develop his songwriting skills and was later encouraged by a friend, Shane Keister, to travel to Nashville, the homeland of country music. This advice and the subsequent decision to move in 1978 changed his life forever.

After moving to Nashville, Michael auditioned and joined a contemporary Christian music group, Higher Ground. He became Higher Ground’s keyboardist and his time in the band became a significant period in his life. Not only did he devote his life to the Christian religion and the abandonment of alcohol and drugs, but his skills as a songwriter also caught the attention of the executives of Meadowgreen Music. Patty, among others.

After graduating from high school, Michael Smith tried to complete his education and studied at Marshall University, but he eventually dropped out after one semester.

Albums and songs

Michael W Smith recorded his first album, The Michael W Smith Project in 1983. By the time, he had established himself as the opening act on Amy Grant’s tour. Her debut album features one of her hit songs, Friends. The debut album was a great introduction to the world as an artist and by the time he released his second album, Michael W Smith 2 in 1984, he was old enough to lead his own tours.

He then released The Big Picture in 1986; I 2 (EYE) came in 1988 and he released his first Christmas album in 1989 – he titled it Noël

Having devoted himself primarily to the Christian rock genre, Michael W Smith switched to a more traditional style of music in the early 90s to appeal to a wider audience. His debut album for the new musical direction was a success. A song on the album, Place in This World, peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

To date, Michael W Smith has released a total of 22 albums, selling over 20 million records. It has 33 number one songs along with 13 Grammy nominations and 3 wins. He has also received 45 Dove Awards and an American Music Award. In all, Smith boasts of five platinum albums and fourteen gold albums. He received an award of excellence, a gold rating in 1999 from ASCAP.

His net worth

A life of extraordinary success in music has resulted in Michael W Smith gaining a significant net worth of around $14 million. His wealth comes as no surprise given his superior songwriting skills which have resulted in songs that have been incorporated into the hymnals of various Christian bodies.

The family life of Michael W Smith

Smith met and married his wife, Deborah Kay Davis, all within four months. Since then, the two have collaborated to create music and five beautiful children. Like their father, some children have adopted music. Tyler Michael is a keyboard player. Whitney Katherine Mooring is married to Leeland band member Jack Mooring. His other children are Ryan, Anna Elizabeth and Emily Alison. He and the rest of his family reside in suburban Nashville.