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Connie Smith (born '''Constance June Meador''' 14 August , 1941 , in Elkhart, Indiana ) is an American Country Music singer. She is best known for her 1964 hit song " Once A Day ", which spent 8 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard 's Country music charts, the longest of any female country music artist in history. This was Smith's only single to reach the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Charts. "Once a Day" launched Connie Smith straight to the top of the country music industry and she was one of the top female stars in the genre during the 1960s. Her other charting singles include "Then and Only Then", "If I Talk to Him", "Ain't Had No Lovin'", "The Hurtin's All Over", and "I'll Come Runnin". Although she never achieved the level of commercial success as some of her contemporaries, Loretta Lynn , Tammy Wynette , Lynn Anderson and Dolly Parton , she is often hailed by music critics as one of the finest voices in country music, voted in 2001 by fellow artists and members of the Country Music industry as #9 of the 40 Greatest Women of Country Music of all time (CMT). EARLY LIFE & RISE TO FAME Connie Smith was born Constance June Meador in 1941 in Elkhart, Indiana . Although she was born in Indiana , she spent much of her early years in West Virginia and later in Ohio . As a child, Smith's father was abusive to her, which caused Smith to have a mental breakdown as a teenager. In West Virginia, she began to start singing locally. She was soon married and became a Housewife and had Children . By the early 1960s , Smith had already become a married woman with a four-month old son, living in Marietta, Ohio . During this time, Smith started singing locally again and appeared on local TV shows around her hometown area. While singing near Columbus, Ohio in August 1963 , she was discovered by country singer Bill Anderson after winning a talent show contest. He recognized Smith's talents and offered his help into getting Smith a recording contract, Smith accepted his offer. A few months later, she was signed onto RCA Records , where she worked with legendary RCA producer Chet Atkins . THE SUCCESS OF " ONCE A DAY " Here at RCA , Bill wrote a song especially for Connie, which he called " Once A Day ." The song was then released in late 1964 and became an immediate #1 hit for her. " Once A Day " became the most successful debut single by a female country artist, spending 8 weeks at #1. "Once a Day" became one of the biggest songs of the year and made Connie Smith a popular name in the country music world. Connie's follow-up, "Then and Only Then," was a Top 5 Country hit and the flip side of the single ("Tiny Blue Transistor Radio") made the Top 25 in 1965 . Smith soon became one of the most successful country music artists of the 1960s, selling albums and concert tickets. Her success continued more into 1965 with two more Top 10 hits called "I Can't Remember" and "If I Talk to Him." During the mid-60s, it seemed she was achieving equal success to counterparts Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. On the Country charts, Smith had three No. 1 Billboard albums, which were, ''Connie Smith'', '' Cute' N Country '', and ''Born to Sing''. Although she remained very popular in country music during the 60s, after "Once a Day", she never achieved another Billboard No.1 hit single. However, some songs did come close such as 1966's "Ain't Had No Lovin'", which reached the No. 2 spot, as well as "The Hurtin's All Over" which peaked at No. 3. in Nashville, Tennessee in June 2004 .]] Her success as a Country Music artist, kept on coming for the rest of the 1960s, with other hits like "The Hurtin's All Over" and " Cincinnati, Ohio ". Smith's recordings through much of the '60s were of the Nashville Sound genre (also known as "countrypolitan") which had orchestral arrangements in the background. Violins can be heard in the background of Smith's 1966 hit "Ain't Had No Lovin'." In 1968 she recorded "Cry Cry Cry" which was not the same song as the 1954 Johnny Cash hit. In 1969, Smith did a cover version of Marty Robbins ' 1965 #1 hit "Ribbon Of Darkness," that made it to #13 on the Country singles chart. That same year, she recorded a duet album with Nat Stuckey entitled ''Young Love''. A single also called " Young Love ", which was originally a hit for Sonny James in 1956 , only made it to #20 for Smith. Connie and Nat also did a Gospel album in 1970 called ''Sunday Morning With Connie and Nat'' -- later re-released in 2001 under the title ''God Will''. She was a top draw in country music concert venues and even branched into minor movie stardom, appearing in such films as '' Las Vegas Hillbillys '' (1966) with Ferlin Husky and Jayne Mansfield , and " Hell's Angels On Wheels " (1967) with Marty Robbins . Nevertheless, Smith did not give her career 100 percent like many of her contemporaries, touring considerably less, stating her main priority was being a wife and mother. THE EDGE OF SUICIDE & RE-ENTERING COUNTRY MUSIC IN THE 70S The pressure of the music business was beginning to take a toll on the Smith, bringing her to the edge of Suicide in 1968. According to Smith, it was her Christian faith that saved her, and by the 1970s , Smith was balancing time between chart success and family life. She even recorded several more gospel albums, like ''Connie Smith Sings Hank Williams Gospel'' and ''God Is Abundant''. She included one or two gospel songs on her country albums as well. In 1971 , Smith recorded her biggest hit of the 1970s called "Just One Time", which just missed topping the Billboard Country Music charts. She still managed to record Top 10 country hits in the 1970s, like "I Never Once Stopped Loving You," "Just For What I Am," "If It Ain't Love (Let's Leave It Alone)," "Love Is The Look You're Looking For" and "Ain't Love A Good Thing." Her last Top 10 hit came in 1976 with "Til' I Kissed You," yet she still managed to score Top 20 hits up until 1978 , such as "I've Got My Baby Off My Mind," "I Never Knew What That Song Meant Before," "Why Don't You Love Me," "I Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore" and "I Just Want To Be Your Everything." Although Smith was still remaining successful on the country charts during this time, her popularity was slowly declining. Her 1978 single "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" was Smith's last significant hit on the country music charts, making it to #14. As for her other singles released between 1978 and 1979 (most notably, "Smooth Sailin'" and "Ten Thousand and One"), they failed to become hits. These singles were more twangy than her previous work, while country music in the 1970s and 1980s was not as countrypolitan. This new form of country music was more Pop -sounding and most country singers from this era also sounded more pop. Such singers had their songs crossover from the country charts into to the pop charts, which the became hits on both sides. Such circumstances left older, more traditional country singers' careers fade away, Smith being chief among them. Smith was nominated three times for the Country Music Association "Female Vocalist of the Year" award and earned 10 various Grammy nominations but has won neither. Smith has also occasionally dabbled in songwriting, penning over 30 songs and earning a Broadcast Music Incorporated award for her 1967 hit "I'll Come Running." Another Smith-penned hit "You've Got Me Right Where You Want Me" was later recorded by Reba McEntire . LATER CAREER & LIFE TODAY Smith switched to Columbia Records in 1973, and then to Monument Records in 1977, albeit with less chart success. She decided to go into semi-retirement in 1980, singing only gospel songs in her appearances at the Grand Ole Opry . In the early 1980's she resumed her secular career and briefly returned to the country music charts via Epic Records in 1985 , with her last charting single being "A Far Cry From You". Smith continued to record albums through much of the 1990s . In 1992 , she released her first album in many years called ''The Wayward Wind''. The following year, Smith did a live album entitled ''Live In Branson, Missouri, USA''. Since 1997 , she has been married to Marty Stuart , a country star 17 years her junior. Stuart produced Smith's 1998 comeback album on the Warner Bros. Records label, simply entitled '' Connie Smith ''. The duo frequently tour together and both remain popular acts on the Opry. In 2003 , Connie Smith released a Christian album with Barbara Fairchild and Sharon White (from the country group The Whites ) entitled '' Love Never Fails ''. In 2003 , Smith and Stuart both attended the funeral of June Carter Cash . Most recently country singer Martina McBride recorded a cover version of Smith's signature tune "Once a Day" and was put in McBride's 2005 album, '' Timeless ''. Smith continues to be a regular member of the Grand Ole Opry, and when not on the Opry, she does occasional dates with her husband. TRIVIA
DISCOGRAPHY Singles Selected Albums AThe 1965 album "Connie Smith" reached #104 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. AWARDS & NOMINATIONS DVD RELEASES FEATURING CONNIE SMITH
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