Sammi Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sammi Smith
|
|
|---|---|
Smith in 1970
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jewel Fay Smith |
| Born | August 5, 1943 Orange County, California, U.S. |
| Died | February 12, 2005 (aged 61) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Genres | Country, outlaw country, country pop |
| Occupation(s) | singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1968–2005 |
| Labels | Columbia, Mega, Elektra, Cyclone Records |
| Associated acts | Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter |
Jewel Fay "Sammi" Smith (born August 5, 1943 – died February 12, 2005) was an American country music singer and songwriter. She is most famous for her 1971 country-pop hit song "Help Me Make It Through the Night". This popular song was written by Kris Kristofferson. Sammi Smith was also one of the few women involved in the "outlaw country" music style during the 1970s.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Sammi Smith was born in Orange County, California, United States. She grew up in different states like Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and Colorado. She started singing professionally in nightclubs when she was 11 years old.
When she was 15, she married Bobby White. They had three children together. Later, in 1967, Johnny Cash's bass player, Marshall Grant, heard her sing. He discovered her talent in a nightclub in Oklahoma City.
After this discovery, Sammi moved to Nashville, Tennessee, a big city for country music. Johnny Cash helped her sign a record deal with Columbia Records. Her first small country hit song was in 1968. It was called "So Long, Charlie Brown, Don't Look for Me Around". In 1971, she married Jody Payne, and they had a son named Waylon Payne, who also became a singer.
Success of "Help Me Make It Through the Night"
"Help Me Make It Through the Night" was the song that made Sammi Smith very famous. It was the biggest hit of her career. She was one of the few women in the "outlaw country" music movement. This style was popular in the 1970s.
In 1970, Sammi Smith signed with a new record company called Mega Records. Her first hit for them was "He's Everywhere". This song reached the top 25 on the country music charts.
A Golden Hit Song
In 1971, "Help Me Make It Through the Night" became a huge success. The song quickly reached number one on the country charts. It also reached number eight on the Billboard U.S. pop chart.
The song sold over two million copies. It earned a gold disc award in April 1971. Kris Kristofferson wrote the song. After Sammi's version, other famous artists like Gladys Knight & the Pips and Elvis Presley also sang it.
Grammy Award Win
In 1972, Sammi Smith won a Grammy Award. She won for Best Female Country Vocal Performance because of her amazing singing on "Help Me Make It Through the Night". Kris Kristofferson also won awards for writing the song.
Music critics called "Help Me Make It Through the Night" a very important song for country music. They said it showed how country music was changing. It mixed country sounds with rock and soul music.
After Her Big Hit
After her huge success, Sammi Smith continued to have more hit songs. In 1973, she moved to Dallas, Texas. She joined other "outlaw country" stars like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. She remained good friends with them for the rest of her life.
Sammi continued to release successful songs with Mega Records until 1975. She had two more songs reach the top 10 on the Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. These were "Then You Walk In" (1971) and "Today I Started Loving You Again" (1975). The second one was her last top 10 hit.
In 1972, her song "I've Got to Have You" was a country hit. It also appeared on the pop charts. She also had other top 40 country hits. These included "The Rainbow in Daddy's Eyes" (1974) and "Long Black Veil" (1974).
New Record Labels
In 1976, Mega Records closed down. Sammi Smith then signed with Elektra Records. She had several more hits with them. Some of these songs were "Sunday School to Broadway" (1976) and "Loving Arms" (1977). Others included "I Can't Stop Loving You" (1977) and "Days That End in Y" (1977).
In 1979, Sammi made a successful album called Girl Hero with Cyclone Records. The song "What a Lie" from that album became a top 20 country hit. She also recorded for Sound Factory Records in the early 1980s. Her last top 20 hit was "Cheatin's a Two-Way Street" in 1981. Her last song to appear on the charts was "Love Me All Over" in 1986.
Later Life and Interests
After 1979, Sammi Smith was heard from less often in music. She moved to Arizona. There, she became involved in helping Apache people. She even started her own band called Apache Spirit. This band was made up of Native American musicians.
In the mid-1980s, she married Johnny Johnson. They ran a cattle ranch in Bristow, Oklahoma. Sammi still performed sometimes at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. She also toured in Japan. She often brought her son Waylon Payne to sing with her at the Opry. Sammi also created her own line of pottery and other handmade items.
In 1995, a collection of her songs was released. It was called The Best of Sammi Smith. This album included her big hit and many other songs. She released a total of 18 albums during her music career.
Death
Sammi Smith passed away on February 12, 2005. She was 61 years old. She died at her home in Oklahoma City from a lung disease called emphysema. She was buried in Guymon, Oklahoma.
A special album was released in her honor on September 26, 2006. It was titled Help Me Make It Through the Night: The Memorial Album.
Family
Sammi Smith had three children with her first husband, Bob White. Their names were Zenithapollostar (born 1962), Robert Floyd White (born 1963), and Snow Jewel White (born 1964).
Later, she had a son named Waylon Malloy Payne (born 1972) with Jody Payne. She also adopted two Apache sons, Albert and Alfred.
Discography
Awards
CMA Awards
- 1971: Single of the Year for "Help Me Make It Through the Night"
Grammy Awards
- 1972: Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Help Me Make It Through the Night"
- 1998: Grammy Hall of Fame for "Help Me Make It Through the Night"
Award nominations
CMA Awards
- 1971: Album of the Year for Help Me Make It Through the Night
- 1971: Female Vocalist of the Year
See also
In Spanish: Sammi Smith para niños
