Connie Smith is an American country music singer and songwriter. Her contralto vocals have been described by music writers as significant and influential to the women of country music. A similarity has been noted between her vocal style and the stylings of country vocalist Patsy Cline. Other performers have cited Smith as influence on their own singing styles, which has been reflected in quotes and interviews over the years.
"Once a Day" is a song written by Bill Anderson and recorded as the debut single by American country artist Connie Smith. It was produced by Bob Ferguson for her self-titled debut album. The song was released in August 1964, topping the Billboard country music chart for eight weeks between late 1964 and early 1965. It was the first debut single by a female artist to reach number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs. This song peaked at number one for the week of November 28, 1964, and it stayed at number one for eight consecutive weeks, a record for a female solo artist for nearly 50 years, until it was surpassed by Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" in December 2012.
Cute 'n' Country is a studio album by American country music artist Connie Smith. It was released in October 1965 via RCA Victor Records and contained 12 tracks. It was the second studio project released in Smith's career and second with the RCA Victor label. Cute 'n' Country contained a mixture of original songs and cover versions by other country artists. Featured on the album was the top ten single "I Can't Remember". Cute 'n' Country was Smith's second album to top the Billboard country LP's chart.
"City Lights" is an American country music song written by Bill Anderson on August 27, 1957. He recorded it on a small Texas label called TNT Records in early 1958 to little acclaim. The song was first cut by Anderson in 1957 at the campus of the University of Georgia. In June 1958, Ray Price recorded it and his version hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs singles chart in August 1958. Mickey Gilley's version also hit number 1 in June 1975.
Connie in the Country is a studio album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in February 1967 via the RCA Camden label and contained ten of tracks of material. It was the seventh studio disc released in Smith's career and her first released on RCA's budget Camden label. Unlike other RCA Camden albums, the project consisted of new recordings for Smith's catalog. This included the single, "Cry, Cry, Cry", which was a top 20 hit on the American country songs chart in 1968.
Connie Smith Sings Bill Anderson is a studio album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in May 1967 via RCA Victor and featured 12 tracks. The collection was the eighth released in Smith's career and was dedicated to her mentor, Bill Anderson. The album contained several songs made popular by Anderson himself, along with several tracks made popular by other performers. It also included the newly-recorded "Cincinnati, Ohio". Smith released her version as a single, which climbed into the top five of the American country songs charts. The album received favorable reviews following its release.
The Best of Connie Smith is a compilation album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in September 1967 via RCA Victor and featured 12 tracks. The disc was Smith's first compilation project released in her career and featured her most popular singles made commercially successful between 1964 and 1967. It also featured one new recording titled "I'll Come Runnin'". Penned by Smith herself and released as a single, the song became a top ten hit on the American country songs chart in 1967.
Sunshine and Rain is a studio album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in October 1968 via RCA Victor and included 12 tracks. The disc marked the eleventh studio collection released in Smith's career and her tenth with RCA Victor. Sunshine and Rain featured an assortment of both new material and covers of songs by other country artists. The album reached the top 40 of the American country albums chart and received a favorable review from Billboard magazine following its release.
Connie's Country is a studio album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in April 1969 via RCA Victor and contained 12 tracks. The pop-inspired project included a mixture of original and cover songs. The album's cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "Ribbon of Darkness" was released as a single, reaching the top 20 of the American country songs chart. The album itself would place in the top 20 of the American country albums chart. It was met with favorable reviews following its release.
Come Along and Walk with Me is the seventeenth studio album by American country artist, Connie Smith. The album was released in October 1971 by RCA Records and was produced by Bob Ferguson. It was Smith's third album of Gospel music, and her second solo Gospel album.
"If It Ain't Love" and Other Great Dallas Frazier Songs is the nineteenth studio album by American country music artist, Connie Smith. The album was released in July 1972 by RCA Records and was produced by Bob Ferguson. The album spawned the album's title track, "If It Ain't Love ".
I Never Knew is the twenty fourth studio album by American country music artist, Connie Smith. The album was released in August 1974 on Columbia Records and was produced by Ray Baker. The title track became the album's lead single.
Connie Smith Sings Hank Williams Gospel is the twenty-sixth studio album by American country music artist, Connie Smith. The album was released in May 1975 on Columbia Records and was produced by Ray Baker. It was Smith's fourth Gospel album released as a solo artist and her fifth altogether including Sunday Morning with Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith.
Joy to the World is the twenty seventh studio album by American country music artist, Connie Smith. The album was released in October 1975 on Columbia Records and was produced by George Richey. It was Smith's first and so far only album of Holiday music released.
The Best of Connie Smith is the ninth compilation album released by American country artist, Connie Smith. The album was released in September 1977 on Columbia Records.
New Horizons is the thirty first studio album by American country music artist, Connie Smith. The album was released in March 1978 on Monument Records and was produced by Ray Baker. It was Smith's final studio album released under Monument and contained four singles released between 1977 and 1978, including "I Just Want to Be Your Everything."
The albums discography of Connie Smith, an American country artist, consists of 37 studio albums, one live album, 14 compilation albums, three box sets, and 26 other appearances. After the success of her 1964 single "Once a Day", Smith's self-titled debut album was released in March 1965 on RCA Victor Records. The album reached number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums, spending thirty weeks on the chart, while also becoming her only album to reach the Billboard 200 list (#105). Smith's next two secular albums, Cute 'n' Country and Miss Smith Goes to Nashville went to number one and number two respectively between 1965 and 1966. In September 1966 Smith released her fifth studio album, Born to Sing, which was her third album to reach the top spot on the Billboard country albums chart. Due to Smith's popularity, RCA Victor issued five albums between 1967 and 1968 including Downtown Country (1967), Connie Smith Sings Bill Anderson (1967), and I Love Charley Brown (1968). In 1969, Smith collaborated with country artist Nat Stuckey on the album Young Love.
The singles discography of Connie Smith, an American country artist, consists of 47 singles, one music video and one additional charting song. After signing with RCA Victor Records in 1964, Smith released her debut single in August entitled "Once a Day". The song topped the Billboard Magazine Hot Country Singles chart by November and held the position for eight weeks, to date being the longest running song at number one by a female country artist. The single's success launched Smith into stardom, making Smith one of the decade's most successful female artists. The follow-up single "Then and Only Then" reached #4 on the country singles chart, while its flip side went to #25 on the same chart. All of Smith's singles released between 1965 and 1968 reached the top 10 on the Billboard country songs chart, including "If I Talk to Him", "Ain't Had No Lovin'", and "Cincinnati, Ohio". By 1969 Smith felt highly pressured from her career and cut back on promoting singles. Smith's chart success slightly declined because of this, with songs like "Ribbon of Darkness" (1969) and "Louisiana Man" (1970) only reaching the top 20. Other singles continued to peak within the top 10 including "I Never Once Stopped Loving You" (1970) and "Just One Time" (1971).
Showcase is a studio album by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released in November 1964 on Decca Records and was produced by Owen Bradley. The album was Anderson's third studio release as a recording artist and second to be released in 1964. It included two singles that became major hits on the Billboard country chart along with subsequent B-sides.
The Cry of the Heart is a studio album by American country music singer Connie Smith. It was released on August 20, 2021, via Fat Possum Records. It is Smith's 54th studio album in her career and the third to be produced by her husband, Marty Stuart. The album is also Smith's first studio album in a decade. It comprises a total of 11 tracks, three of which were penned by Smith and Stuart. the album features recordings penned by Merle Haggard, Melba Montgomery and Carl Jackson. Three tracks are covers of songs previously released as singles by country artists. The album received positive reception from critics and journalists following its release.
