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All Music Guide:
Blending big-city intelligence and sophistication with the clear and honest passion of classic country and folk performers, Mindy Smith is a singer who combines the best of both worlds, and her talents have earned the young performer a growing reputation as an artist to watch, as well as some well-known admirers. Smith was born in Long Island, NY, and with the encouragement of her parents developed a passionate interest in music at an early age, taking up singing as a hobby. In 1994, Smith's mother lost a long battle with cancer, and after her passing Smith and her father moved to Knoxville, TN. Once they settled in their new home, Smith began exploring the musical heritage of the South and became enamored with folk, bluegrass, and the blues, developing a special enthusiasm for Alison Krauss, Shawn Colvin, and the Cox Family.
Before long, Smith was writing songs and playing local shows, and in 1998 she decided to move to Nashville in hopes of making music her career. With a mere $300 in her pocket, Smith wasted little time in making a name for herself in Music City, and after winning the Tin Pan South Open Mike Competition in 2000 and becoming a finalist in the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival's New Folk Competition, Smith earned a publishing deal with Big Yellow Dog Music. Smith's big break came in 2003, when she was tapped to appear on Just Because I'm a Woman: The Songs of Dolly Parton, a high-profile tribute album to the long-reigning country superstar that found her performing alongside Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, Alison Krauss, and Parton herself, who was by all accounts quite impressed with the young performer's interpretation of "Jolene." That same year, Smith was signed to a deal with Vanguard Records, and her debut album, One Moment More, was released in early 2004. In 2006 she returned with her second full-length, Long Island Shores. The holiday collection My Holiday followed shortly thereafter in October of that year. A fourth release, Stupid Love, was issued by Vanguard at the end of the summer in 2009.
Wikipedia:
Mindy Smith (born June 1, 1972 on Long Island, New York) is an American singer-songwriter. Her music can be classified as folk, country, Americana, bluegrass, pop, rock, and even alternative. Her voice and musical sound have been compared to that of Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, Norah Jones, and Alison Krauss.
Biography [edit]
Smith was adopted at birth by a pastor and his wife. She has a brother and two sisters (Shannon, Kim and Don), and she grew up on Long Island, where she developed a passion for music and began singing at an early age. After her mother's death from cancer in 1991, Smith moved to Cincinnati for two years and then to Knoxville, Tennessee and, in 1998, she moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music.
Rise to fame [edit]
Smith gained popularity in 2003 when she was asked to contribute to the Dolly Parton tribute album Just Because I'm a Woman by her label, Vanguard Records. Her contribution to the project was a cover of Parton's classic "Jolene". Dolly Parton followed by adding backing vocals to a new mix of the song, which was then featured on Smith's debut album One Moment More, that was released in January 2004. The pair also performed the song on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
"Come to Jesus" was Smith's second single and biggest hit, receiving airplay on country music, Christian, AAA and adult contemporary radio. The song charted at No. 32 on Billboard's Adult Top 40 chart. "One Moment More" was the album's final single.
In 2004 Smith appeared at the long-established Cambridge Folk Festival in the United Kingdom, which was broadcast nationally on BBC radio.
During her tour supporting One Moment More, Smith regularly sang a cover of Susan Ashton's song "No One Knows My Heart", which Smith has not yet released on an album.
Back to Long Island Shores [edit]
In October 2006, Smith released "Out Loud", the first single from her second album Long Island Shores. The song was well received by AAA rock radio and CMT. On January 10, 2007, she performed "Please Stay" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Smith included Buddy Miller as a duet vocalist for "What If the World Stops Turning".
My Holiday [edit]
In October 2008, Smith released a Christmas album, My Holiday. In addition to several standards, Smith wrote six original Christmas-themed songs. A song Popmatters describes as "standout", "I Know the Reason" includes duet vocals by Thad Cockrell.
Stupid Love [edit]
In August 2009, Smith released her fourth studio album, Stupid Love. She appeared on The Early Show on August 15, 2009 to perform the first single, "Highs and Lows". On September 29, 2009, while promoting the album on the syndicated radio show World Cafe, Smith disclosed she had dealt with obsessive compulsive disorder.
Mindy Smith [edit]
In June 2012, Smith released an independent studio album, Mindy Smith, her fifth overall. With a hand-drawn cover and consisting of eleven tracks, the album was led by the single "Closer", which saw its music video aired on CMT.
