Michael W. Smith

Michael W. Smith was born in Kenova, West Virginia. His dad worked in

an oil refinery and his mom was a caterer and church secretary. His two

passions growing up were baseball and music. He became a Christian at

the age of 10 and after graduation, moved to Nashville. Unable to get a

record deal, Smitty turned to drugs and alcohol for a short time before

coming clean and renewing his faith in October, 1979. He started

performing with a Christian group called “Higher Ground” in 1981, the

same year he met his wife Debbie. They met in June and were married in

September.He finally landed a record deal with Reunion Records and came out with

his first album in 1983. In September of that year, two days before his

second anniversary, his first child Ryan was born. Smitty continued to

record albums, releasing them about a year or two apart. He was soon

playing to large crowds as his music was gaining mainstream

attention.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous