Anthony Smith (songwriter)
Encyclopedia
Ralph Anthony Smith is an American country music
singer, songwriter, and record producer. As a musician, Smith recorded his first album, If That Ain't Country
, on Mercury Nashville Records in 2003. The album produced three Top 40 singles on the Billboard
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
) charts. Smith has also written singles for Tim McGraw
, Trace Adkins
, Montgomery Gentry
and George Strait
. He released an EP
in 2009 on Stroudavarious Records
.
, but moved to eastern Tennessee soon after. His musical interests began at an early age. At age nine, he had joined his first band, and by age twelve he was arranging music at his church. Smith moved to Kentucky
in his early 20s and joined several bands. Luke Lewis, the boss of Mercury Nashville Records, received a demo tape of Smith's music, and in 2000, he signed the artist to a record deal. Meanwhile, Smith wrote songs for other artists, including "Run
" by George Strait
, "I'm Tryin'
" and "Chrome
" by Trace Adkins
, "Didn't I" by Montgomery Gentry
, and "What Brothers Do" by Confederate Railroad
. Smith co-wrote both of the Trace Adkins cuts with Jeffrey Steele
.
Smith's debut album was released on Mercury Nashville in 2002, the same year that he was granted a songwriting deal from BMI
. The album, titled If That Ain't Country
, produced three Top 40 singles, of which the title track (another Jeffrey Steele co-write) was the highest-charting. After exiting Mercury in 2003, Smith continued to write songs for other artists, including "Cowboys Like Us
", another single release by George Strait. In 2007, two other singles that Smith co-wrote entered the country charts "Daisy" by Halfway to Hazard
, and "What Do Ya Think About That
", another release by Montgomery Gentry. In 2008, Tim McGraw
charted in the Top 20 with "Kristofferson
", which Smith co-wrote with Reed Nielsen. Later that year, he signed to a second recording contract, this time with Stroudavarious Records
. His first single for the label, "Bringin' Back the Sunshine", was released in July 2009, and debuted and peaked at #60 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Smith also released an extended play
for the label, then left in early 2010 to form his own label, Krankit Records. His first release on this label was "Love Is Love Is Love."
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer, songwriter, and record producer. As a musician, Smith recorded his first album, If That Ain't Country
If That Ain't Country
If That Ain't Country is the title of a studio album recorded by American country music artist Anthony Smith. It was released in 2002 on Mercury Nashville Records as his only studio album. Three singles were released from it: the title track, followed by "John J. Blanchard" and "Half a Man"...
, on Mercury Nashville Records in 2003. The album produced three Top 40 singles on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
) charts. Smith has also written singles for Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
, Trace Adkins
Trace Adkins
Tracy Darrell "Trace" Adkins is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1996 with the album Dreamin' Out Loud, released on Capitol Records Nashville. Since then, Adkins has released seven more studio albums and two Greatest Hits compilations...
, Montgomery Gentry
Montgomery Gentry
Montgomery Gentry is an American country music duo composed of vocalists Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry. The two began performing in the 1990s as part of a band which also included Eddie Montgomery's brother John Michael Montgomery, and founded the existing duo in 1999.Signed to Columbia Records,...
and George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
. He released an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in 2009 on Stroudavarious Records
Stroudavarious Records
R&J Records is an American independent record label specializing in country music. It was founded in May 2011 by James Stroud and Rick Carter. Stroud is a record producer and former president of Giant Records and DreamWorks Records. In 2008, Stroud had launched Stroudavarious Records and signed...
.
Biography
Anthony Smith was born in Warsaw, IndianaWarsaw, Indiana
Warsaw is a city in and the county seat of Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States. Cradled among Winona Lake, Pike Lake, Hidden Lake and Center Lake, Warsaw is nicknamed "Lake City," though other cities in the surrounding area are also referred to by that nickname...
, but moved to eastern Tennessee soon after. His musical interests began at an early age. At age nine, he had joined his first band, and by age twelve he was arranging music at his church. Smith moved to Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
in his early 20s and joined several bands. Luke Lewis, the boss of Mercury Nashville Records, received a demo tape of Smith's music, and in 2000, he signed the artist to a record deal. Meanwhile, Smith wrote songs for other artists, including "Run
Run (George Strait song)
Run is a song recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was the lead single released in October 2001 from George Strait's 2001 album The Road Less Traveled. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts in December 2001, where it was blocked by Toby Keith's song, I...
" by George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
, "I'm Tryin'
I'm Tryin'
"I'm Tryin" is a song recorded by country music artist Trace Adkins. It is the lead-off single released from his 2001 album Chrome. It peaked at #6 in the United States...
" and "Chrome
Chrome (Trace Adkins song)
"Chrome" is the title of a song written by Anthony Smith and Jeffrey Steele, and recorded by American country music artist Trace Adkins. It was released in September 2002 as the third and final single from his 2001 album of the same name...
" by Trace Adkins
Trace Adkins
Tracy Darrell "Trace" Adkins is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1996 with the album Dreamin' Out Loud, released on Capitol Records Nashville. Since then, Adkins has released seven more studio albums and two Greatest Hits compilations...
, "Didn't I" by Montgomery Gentry
Montgomery Gentry
Montgomery Gentry is an American country music duo composed of vocalists Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry. The two began performing in the 1990s as part of a band which also included Eddie Montgomery's brother John Michael Montgomery, and founded the existing duo in 1999.Signed to Columbia Records,...
, and "What Brothers Do" by Confederate Railroad
Confederate Railroad
Confederate Railroad is an American country rock band founded in 1987 in Marietta, Georgia by Danny Shirley , Michael Lamb , Mark Dufresne , Chris McDaniel , Warren "Gates" Nichols and Wayne Secrest...
. Smith co-wrote both of the Trace Adkins cuts with Jeffrey Steele
Jeffrey Steele
Jeffrey LeVasseur is an American country music singer and songwriter, more commonly known by the name Jeffrey Steele...
.
Smith's debut album was released on Mercury Nashville in 2002, the same year that he was granted a songwriting deal from BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
. The album, titled If That Ain't Country
If That Ain't Country
If That Ain't Country is the title of a studio album recorded by American country music artist Anthony Smith. It was released in 2002 on Mercury Nashville Records as his only studio album. Three singles were released from it: the title track, followed by "John J. Blanchard" and "Half a Man"...
, produced three Top 40 singles, of which the title track (another Jeffrey Steele co-write) was the highest-charting. After exiting Mercury in 2003, Smith continued to write songs for other artists, including "Cowboys Like Us
Cowboys Like Us
"Cowboys Like Us" is the title of a song written by Bob DiPiero and Anthony Smith. It was recorded in 2003 by George Strait for his album Honkytonkville, from which it was released in August 2003 as that album's second single...
", another single release by George Strait. In 2007, two other singles that Smith co-wrote entered the country charts "Daisy" by Halfway to Hazard
Halfway to Hazard
Halfway to Hazard is an American country music duo composed of singer-songwriters David Tolliver and Chad Warrix. Though Tolliver and Warrix grew up in different towns in southeastern Kentucky, their band's origins are in Hazard, Kentucky, which was halfway between their hometowns.Their debut...
, and "What Do Ya Think About That
What Do Ya Think About That
"What Do Ya Think About That" is a single by American country music duo Montgomery Gentry. It is the third single released from their 2007 album...
", another release by Montgomery Gentry. In 2008, Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
charted in the Top 20 with "Kristofferson
Kristofferson (song)
"Kristofferson" is the title of a country music song written by Anthony Smith and Reed Nielsen. It was recorded by singer Tim McGraw on his 2007 album Let It Go. Released in early 2008 as the album's fifth single...
", which Smith co-wrote with Reed Nielsen. Later that year, he signed to a second recording contract, this time with Stroudavarious Records
Stroudavarious Records
R&J Records is an American independent record label specializing in country music. It was founded in May 2011 by James Stroud and Rick Carter. Stroud is a record producer and former president of Giant Records and DreamWorks Records. In 2008, Stroud had launched Stroudavarious Records and signed...
. His first single for the label, "Bringin' Back the Sunshine", was released in July 2009, and debuted and peaked at #60 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Smith also released an extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
for the label, then left in early 2010 to form his own label, Krankit Records. His first release on this label was "Love Is Love Is Love."
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
||
| If That Ain't Country If That Ain't Country If That Ain't Country is the title of a studio album recorded by American country music artist Anthony Smith. It was released in 2002 on Mercury Nashville Records as his only studio album. Three singles were released from it: the title track, followed by "John J. Blanchard" and "Half a Man"... |
|
26 | 16 |
Extended plays
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Sunshine EP |
|
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
|||
| 2002 | "If That Ain't Country" | 26 | If That Ain't Country |
| "John J. Blanchard" | 40 | ||
| 2003 | "Half a Man" | 40 | |
| 2009 | "Bringin' Back the Sunshine" | 60 | Sunshine EP |
| 2010 | "Love Is Love Is Love" | — | Non-album song |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | "If That Ain't Country" | Charley Randazzo |
| 2009 | "Bringin' Back the Sunshine" | Traci Goudie |
| 2010 | "Love Is Love Is Love" | Marcel Marcel (singer) Marcel Francois Chagnon is an American country music singer and songwriter known by the singular name Marcel. Signed to Mercury Nashville Records in 2003, he released his debut album You, Me, and the Windshield that year and charted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts with the single "Country... |