Michael W. Smith

Michael W. Smith became one of the most enduringly popular artists in the contemporary Christian music market while also finding success in the mainstream. The songwriter was born in Kenova, West Virginia, the son of an oil refinery worker and a caterer. He became a devout Christian at age ten and spent his teenage years around a support group of fellow believers who frequently gathered to create music. The group split up after high school, and Smith turned to alcohol, drugs, and wild times. Meanwhile, he scraped through a couple semesters of college and began honing his songwriting skills, which led to a songwriting company's interest in his music in 1978. He moved to Nashville, where he played with a series of local bands including Rose. He was still heavily into drugs and continued using until October 1979, when he suffered a breakdown that culminated in his recommitment to Christ. The next day, he auditioned for a new CCM group, Higher Ground, as a keyboardist. He landed the gig and began to clean up his act while touring with the band