Margo Smith (born Betty Lou Miller; April 9, 1942 in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater D ...

) is an American

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

and Christian music singer–songwriter. She had several years of country success during the 1970s, which included two number one hits on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart. In the 1990s, she transitioned towards the Christian market and issued two successful albums. She is also known for her

yodeling Yodeling (also jodeling) is a form of singing which involves repeated and rapid changes of pitch between the low-pitch chest register (or "chest voice") and the high-pitch head register or falsetto. The English word ''yodel'' is derived from the ...

vocal skills and is often referred to as "The Tennessee Yodeler". Smith was born and raised in Ohio. During her childhood she learned how to sing and yodel. After graduating high school, Smith chose to pursue a career in education. For nearly a decade Smith taught elementary school and started a family with her first husband. In her thirties, she decided to begin a singing career full-time and also started songwriting. In 1971, she released her first album titled '' I'm a Lady'' and developed a following. By 1975, Smith had signed with 20th Century Fox Records and had her first major hit on the country charts with the song " There I Said It." She had further hits in the 1970s with songs like "

Take My Breath Away "Take My Breath Away" is a song written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock for the 1986 film ''Top Gun'', performed by American new wave band Berlin. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best ...

" and "

Don't Break the Heart That Loves You "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" is an American song written by Benny Davis and Murray Mencher (using the pseudonym Ted Murry). The song was a success for two artists in two different genres: Connie Francis in the pop field in 1962 and Ma ...

". In 1979, Smith released the single " Still a Woman" and made significant changes to her musical persona. The transition helped to briefly elevate Smith's commercial country music career and she had further hits. By the early 1980s, Smith regretted making stylistic changes to her career and left her recording contract. She released music independently during the 1980s while also issuing albums through major labels. In the 1990s, Smith transitioned towards Christian music and recording two albums with her daughter, Holly. The pair won awards for their collaborative music and performed for several years. In recent years, Smith has continued performing as a solo act in her current residence located in Florida.

Early life

Smith was born Betty Lou Miller in

. She was raised on a farm outside the Dayton city limits. She had been interested in performing since childhood, especially after watching country singers on the local television show, ''

Midwestern Hayride ''Midwestern Hayride'', sometimes known as ''Midwest Hayride'' and later ''Hayride'', was an American country music show originating in the 1930s from radio station WLW and later from television station WLW-T in Cincinnati, Ohio. During the 1950s ...

.'' At an early age, she learned how to

yodel Yodeling (also jodeling) is a form of singing which involves repeated and rapid changes of pitch between the low-pitch chest register (or "chest voice") and the high-pitch head register or falsetto. The English word ''yodel'' is derived from th ...

, which became a part of her performing style. In high school, she sang as part of a trio called the Apple Sisters. However, Smith chose to pursue teaching professionally. She graduated from

Wittenberg University Wittenberg University is a private liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio. It has 1,326 full-time students representing 33 states and 9 foreign countries. Wittenberg University is associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ...

with a major in

elementary education Primary education or elementary education is typically the first stage of formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary school. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or fir ...

. After graduating, she taught

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th ce ...

for five years and then briefly taught third grade for two years. She then returned to kindergarten by the early 1970s. Although teaching full-time, Smith found ways to incorporate music into her classroom. She often wrote songs that would be embedded into her lessons. Learning to perform the

ukulele The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings. The tone and volume of the instrumen ...

, Smith often used it to calm energetic children in her class.

Career

1970–1975: Country beginnings and success at 20th Century Fox

Smith started performing professionally in her mid thirties. Under her married name, Bette Smith, she began singing at PTA meetings and on local radio broadcasts. Her performances developed a local following and she eventually recorded a

demo record A demo (shortened from "demonstration") is a song or group of songs typically recorded for limited circulation or for reference use, rather than for general public release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas in a fixed for ...

. Under the same name she released her debut album in 1971 titled '' I'm a Lady.'' The record was issued on Nashville North Records and contained a total of 12 tracks. Eight of the album's songs were composed by Smith herself and also featured covers of

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

recordings, including " In the Garden." Smith also released four singles on the Chart and Sugar Hill labels during this period. At the same time, Smith maintained her full-time teaching career, working at Westlake Elementary School in

New Carlisle, Ohio New Carlisle is a city in Clark County, Ohio, Clark County, Ohio, United States. The population was 5,785 at the United States Census 2010, 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Ohio Springfield, Ohio metropolitan area, Metropolitan Statistic ...

. She also took several graduate courses and painted landscapes during her free time. In 1975, Smith signed with 20th Century Fox Records and began recording under the name Margo Smith. Her first release for the label was the single " There I Said It." The self-composed song became a major hit, reaching number eight on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Songs chart. It also climbed into the top 20 of the ''

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'' Country Singles chart in Canada. In September 1975, her eponymous debut album was issued on 20th Century Fox and included ten self-penned tracks. The project was also her first to chart on the ''Billboard'' country albums list. Later that year, Smith's next single, "Paper Lovin'", reached the top 40 of the country songs survey. Following its release, 20th Century Fox announced the closing of its Nashville division. Smith was soon left without a record label by the end of 1975.

1976–1980: Peak success and image metamorphosis

In 1976, Smith signed with

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

and began working under the production of record producer

Norro Wilson Norris Denton "Norro" Wilson (April 4, 1938 – June 8, 2017) was an American country music singer-songwriter, producer, and member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Wilson wrote or co-wrote numerous hit songs during more than 40 ye ...

. Her first hit with the label was a cover of

Brotherhood of Man Brotherhood of Man are a British pop group who achieved success in the 1970s. They won the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest with " Save Your Kisses for Me". Created in 1969 by songwriter and record producer Tony Hiller, Brotherhood of Man was initi ...

's "

Save Your Kisses for Me "Save Your Kisses for Me" was the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 1976, performed for the by Brotherhood of Man in The Hague, Netherlands. The lyrics and music were written by Tony Hiller, Lee Sheriden, and Martin Lee, the latter two ...

." The song reached the top ten of the ''Billboard'' country singles survey in 1976. Her second studio album was also issued in 1976 titled, ''

Song Bird A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 500 ...

.'' The record featured four songs written by Smith, along with covers of songs by Ray Price and

Dottie West Dorothy Marie Marsh West (October 11, 1932 – September 4, 1991) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with her friends and fellow recording artists Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, she is considered one of the genre's most in ...

. ''Song Bird'' peaked in the top 40 of the ''Billboard'' country albums survey. In 1977, Smith's self-penned single, "

," reached number seven on the ''Billboard'' chart. The song was included on her third studio album titled ''

Happiness Happiness, in the context of mental or emotional states, is positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishing and eudaimonia. ...

.'' Jim Worbois of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

rated the project at three stars, calling it "a collection of songs that constantly crosses the line between country and pop." Three more singles were spawned from the album, including the top 20 hit, " Love's Explosion," and a duet with producer Norro Wilson. Margo Smith--1977

In 1978, Warner Bros. released two singles by Smith that became number one singles on the ''Billboard'' country songs survey. Both "

" and " It Only Hurts for a Little While" reached the top spot and had previously been pop hits a decade prior to Smith's cover. Her next single release was also a pop cover: " Little Things Mean a Lot." The song reached number three on the country songs chart. All three tracks also reached top ten positions on the ''RPM'' chart in Canada. The songs were issued on Smith's fifth studio album, ''

.'' The album included a mixture of cover tunes and original recordings, including a self-penned track by Smith. The album was her highest-charting record in the United States, reaching number 27 on the ''Billboard'' country albums survey in 1978.

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

gave the project a three-star rating. Others took notice of Smith's singing style with the album's release. Writers Mary A. Bufwack and Robert K. Oermann remarked of her musical image during this period as being "housewifey," while also highlighting the "Jean Arthur purr in her voice." In 1979, Smith felt her music lacked an identity of its own. Together, with songwriter

Mack David Mack David (July 5, 1912 – December 30, 1993) was an American lyricist and songwriter, best known for his work in film and television, with a career spanning the period between the early 1940s and the early 1970s. David was credited with writing ...

and producer Norro Wilson, she wrote a song that would alter her artistic image. Titled " Still a Woman," the song focused on the martial needs facing middle-aged women, according to an excerpt from ''Billboard'' magazine. Smith also spoke of the song in the same interview: "I wanted to write a song that said 'hey, even though I may have a few children and a few gray hairs, I'm just as good as I ever was'." Released as a single, it reached number seven on the ''Billboard'' country list and the top 20 of the ''RPM'' chart in 1979. The song was released on a similarly themed album called '' A Woman.'' The project peaked at number 36 on the country albums chart. Writer Greg Adams described ''A Woman'' as having "a mildly adventurous spirit." Kurt Wolff commented that ''A Woman'' made Smith into "a middle-aged sexpot." The album would also produce a second single in 1979. Smith's cover of " If I Give My Heart to You" would reach the top ten of the ''Billboard'' country chart in 1979. Smith's new musical style brought further career changes. She began incorporating a new concert style that included "increasingly flashy" stage shows, according to Kurt Wolff. She also included stage choreography and spoke openly about sex in interviews. "Sex is a part of every woman and if she says it ain't, she's a liar. That's the way I feel," she explained in 1980. Her career persona helped increase her fan club, which began to include a larger female audience. She also received more concert work, opening for larger country acts with her band Night Flight. She continued the same image with her next album release titled '' Just Margo'' (1979). The album's cover featured Smith wearing just a satin robe. Sales in Canada brought the album to the number 14 spot on the ''RPM'' Country Albums survey in 1979. It also produced the top 20 country hit, " The Shuffle Song," which Smith co-wrote. She transitioned into 1980 with the album '' Diamonds and Chills,'' whose album cover displayed Smith with a "plunging neckline," according to Wolff. The album received three stars from Allmusic and ''Billboard'' praised its

country pop Country pop (also known as pop country or urban cowboy) is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends genres ...

musical styles. The album's two singles, which included a cover of

Mary Wells Mary Esther Wells (May 13, 1943 – July 26, 1992) was an American singer, who helped to define the emerging sound of Motown in the early 1960s. Along with The Supremes, The Miracles, The Temptations, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and the F ...

' "

My Guy "My Guy" is a 1964 hit single by Mary Wells for the Motown label. Written and produced by Smokey Robinson of The Miracles, the song is a woman's rejection of a sexual advance and affirmation of her fidelity to her boyfriend, who is her ideal and ...

" peaked outside the top 40 of the North American country charts. In 1981, she collaborated with country artist Rex Allen Jr. on the duet, "Cup of Tea." Released as a single, the track reached number 12 on the country songs chart.

1982–present: Return to traditions and new musical directions

Smith returned to a more traditional musical image and went on to call her former "sexy" musical persona a mistake. "I had an image for singing sweet ballads and I should'a stuck with it," she recalled in 2003. Smith was released from her contract with Warner Bros. in 1982 and began recording with Cammeron Records, an independent label founded by her second husband. Through the label, Smith issued her next studio release in 1981 titled '' Ridin' High''. The project featured ten tracks, six of which were self-penned and included co-writing credits from her husband. Four singles were released from the album that peaked outside the top 40 of the ''Billboard'' country chart, including a cover of Hank Williams' " Wedding Bells". In 1983, she released '' The Best of the Tennessee Yodeler,'' a studio record dedicated to her childhood idol,

Bonnie Lou Mary Joan Okum (née Kath; October 27, 1924 – December 8, 2015), known by her performing name Bonnie Lou, was an American musical pioneer, recognized as one of the first female rock and roll singers. She is also one of the first artists to gain ...

. The album featured Smith's

vocal technique and was sold on television via direct-response marketing advertisements. In 1985,

Dot Records Dot Records was an American record label founded by Randy Wood (record producer), Randy Wood and Gene Nobles that was active between 1950 and 1978. The original headquarters of Dot Records were in Gallatin, Tennessee. In 1956, the company moved ...

revived its Nashville division and announced it would release music from veteran country performers. Among the artists chosen was Smith, who released her second eponymous studio album with Dot (along with

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...

) in 1986. It featured re-recordings of her major hits from the 1970s. In 1987, Smith released her next studio record titled '' The Best Yet''. Issued on Playback Records, the album contained cover versions of

traditional pop music Traditional pop (also known as classic pop and pre-rock and roll pop) is Western pop music that generally pre-dates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The most popular and enduring songs from this era of music are known as pop standard ...

standards, such as " You Belong to Me" and " Harbor Lights." The album received a mix review from ''Billboard'' magazine. Writers found Smith's vocals to be "a little strident at times". Yet,they also noted that she "knows how to reach the heart of some of the great pop tunes that commanded the charts before rock 'n' roll rolled in." Spawned from the album was the song "Echo Me," which is her final charting single to date, peaking at number 77 on the ''Billboard'' country survey in 1988. She followed in 1989 with her second Cammeron label release, ''Back in the Swing''. In the early 1990s, Smith collaborated with her daughter Holly on

Christian music Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely aroun ...

. Together, the duo signed with Homeland Records and had success on contemporary Christian radio with several duet singles. Their first album release was 1991's '' Just the Beginning.'' It was followed in 1992 by their second collaborative release titled ''Wishes''. In 1994, the duo was nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year at the second annual Christian Country Music Awards. The duo remained a popular touring act on the Christian music circuit as late as 1995 where they performed at a charity to raise money for disaster relief. In later years, Smith continued performing while also venturing into other projects. She started selling a tape on her official website that taught singers how to yodel. She also mentored performers who wanted to learn the skill, including

Taylor Ware Taylor Marie Ware (born September 17, 1994) is an American singer and yodeler from Franklin, Tennessee. Before Ware knew how to yodel, she performed at a county fair at age four. Her talent was singing and playing a fiddle. When she was six ...

, who appeared on a season of '' America's Got Talent.'' Smith also continued releasing music of her own. In 2005 she issued her most recent studio effort to date, titled '' Nothing to Lose''. The album was released on

Lamon Records Lamon Records is an indie record label that was established in North Carolina before moving to Nashville, Tennessee. Lamon Records concentrates its efforts in country, bluegrass, alternative and Americana music, as well as all forms of Christi ...

. She also continues to perform in

The Villages, Florida The Villages is a census-designated place (CDP) in central Florida. It is in Sumter and Marion counties, Florida, United States. It shares its name with a broader master-planned age-restricted community that spreads into portions of Lake Co ...

, where Smith lives year-round. In 2015, she helped raise $11,000 for The Ukulele Kids Club, a Florida organization that provides musical instruments to children in hospitals.

Musical styles and image

Smith's musical style embeds the genres of Country, Christian and Country pop. Many of her Warner Bros. albums embedded country pop arrangements. Jim Worbois found that Smith's 1977 album, ''Happiness'' included songs that "would have sounded equally at home at pop radio" while finding a place with "pure country". Author Kurt Wolff noted a similar theme in her Warner Bros. albums, finding that their production often incorporated heavy elements country pop. Smith's yodeling vocal style has also been observed by journalists and writers. Writers Mary A. Bufwack and Robert K. Oermann found that she often incorporated "quasi-yodel vocal breaks" into her singing performances. Tony Violanti of ''The Villages-News'' also found Smith's yodeling to display emotion: "Smith may have tiny physical stature but her voice can crackle with emotion." In a 2006 interview, Smith explained that her yodeling style is created from a vocal break in her voice known as a "glottal catch". "Not just anybody can yodel. You have to have the ability to have that flip in your voice," she commented. Smith's image has also been a subject of discussion among writers. Authors of music publications have pointed out that Smith's music helped provide an outlet for middle-aged women attempting to rekindle romantic relationships. Kurt Wolff of ''Country Music: The Rough Guide'' explained that "few singers spoke so unabashedly of attempting to reinvigorate love's fading fires, especially from a woman's perspective." Wolff further commented that Smith's songwriting contained "lyrical boldness" that helped provide voice to "middle-aged couples who'd been together for years." Mary A. Bufwack and Robert K. Oermann remarked that her concerts of the late 1970s were among "the era's flashiest show queen stage routines."

Personal life

Smith has been married twice. Her first marriage was to

bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Because ...

er Ken Smith. Together the couple had two children: Jeff (born 1964) and Holly (born 1968). For many years, the couple lived in New Carlisle, Ohio before moving to Nashville to further her career. After she had several years of commercial success, the couple separated. Claims were later made by her former manager, Bob Fry, that she had been engaging in a romantic relationship with him. She fired Fry in 1981 and he later filed a lawsuit claiming that he was let go because she refused to have a continued sexual affair with him. In 1982, Smith wed business professional Richard Cammeron, who would become her career manager. The pair also established the record label, Cammeron Records, where Smith released several singles and albums. In 1985, the Cammeron's Nashville home was destroyed in a house fire where they lost many material possessions. A fundraiser was later created to help the couple rebuild. In August 2014, Smith was involved in a near fatal head-on car collision near her home in

. She suffered a shattered wrist, broken ankle, and multiple bruises. She spent three months at a local rehabilitation center and made a full recovery and was expected to return to performing in December 2014. Law enforcement officials later stated that Smith would not have survived the accident if she had not been wearing a seat belt or left her car's convertible top down. In June 2016, Smith was hospitalized with double pneumonia, among other health concerns. She was sent to the intensive care unit where she remained until her health improved. Smith later made a full-recovery and began performing in the fall of 2016. "I feel as well as I can be and I feel great singing in front of all these people," she commented.

Discography

;Studio albums * 1971: '' I'm a Lady'' * 1975: '' Margo Smith'' * 1976: ''

'' * 1977: ''

'' * 1978: ''

'' * 1979: '' A Woman'' * 1979: '' Just Margo'' * 1980: '' Diamonds and Chills'' * 1981: '' Ridin' High'' * 1985: '' The Best of the Tennessee Yodeler'' * 1986: '' Margo Smith'' * 1987: '' The Best Yet'' * 1989: ''Back in the Swing'' * 1991: '' Just the Beginning'' * 1992: '' Wishes'' * 1992: ''God's Bigger Than Wall Street'' * 1993: ''Swiss, Cowboy and Country'' * 2005: '' Nothing to Lose''

Awards and nominations

! , - , 1975 , '' Record World'' , Top New Female Vocalist , , align="center", , - , 1976 ,

Academy of Country Music Awards The Academy of Country Music Awards, also known as the ACM Awards, were first held in 1966, honoring the industry's accomplishments during the previous year. It was the first country music awards program held by a major organization. The academ ...

, Most Promising Female Vocalist , , , - , 1977 , rowspan="2", ''Record World'' , rowspan="2", Top Female Vocalist , , align="center", , - , rowspan="2", 1979 , , align="center", , - , ASACP Awards , Country Artist of the Year , , , - , 1980 , ''Record World'' , Top Female Vocalist , , align="center", , - , 1994 , rowspan="2", CCMA Awards , Vocal Duo of the Year , , , - , 2001 , Living Legend Award , , , -

References

Footnotes

Books

* *

External links

Margo Smith news and updates
at Villages-News {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Margo 1942 births Living people American performers of Christian music American women country singers American country singer-songwriters Country musicians from Florida Country musicians from Ohio Musicians from Dayton, Ohio People from The Villages, Florida Singer-songwriters from Ohio Sugar Hill Records artists Warner Records artists Wittenberg University alumni Yodelers 21st-century American women Singer-songwriters from Florida