Taking praise songs from the churches and turning them into righteous pop
sermons, Michael W. Smith established himself as one of the big stars of
contemporary Christian music in the 1980s, packing out stadiums and selling
millions of records.
Growing up in Kenova, West Virginia, Smith started learning the piano with the
help of his grandmother when he was eight and spent his childhood playing in
church bands and listening to the likes of Ralph Carmichael and Andre Crouch and
the Disciples. After dropping out of college he headed to Nashville in pursuit
of a music career, bu...