Billy Smiley (born October 19, 1957) is a music producer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for being one of the core members of the

Christian rock Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christians, Christian individuals. The extent to w ...

band

White Heart White Heart, also listed as Whiteheart, was an American contemporary Christian music and pop-rock band which formed in 1982. White Heart's discography includes thirteen albums, the most recent of which was released in 1997. Original members Bill ...

. He was the bands' guitarist, vocalist, and one of the main songwriters since 1982. After selling over 2 million albums with White Heart, Smiley turned to music production and artist development. He is credited with producing or developing such Christian acts as:

Geoff Moore and the Distance Geoff Moore (born February 22, 1961) is an American contemporary Christian music singer. He began recording as a solo artist in 1984. In 1987, he formed Geoff Moore and The Distance, his touring band, which released eight albums generating a st ...

, Margaret Becker, Rhonda Gunn,

Newsboys Newsboys (sometimes stylised as newsboys) are a Christian rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia, by Peter Furler and George Perdikis. Now based in Nashville, Tennessee, the band has released 17 studio albums, 6 of whi ...

, and

Bebe & Cece Winans BeBe & CeCe Winans are an American gospel music brother and sister duo. BeBe and CeCe Winans are the seventh and eighth of the Winans family's ten children, most of whom have had gospel music careers. Together, they have received several award ...

. His most recent, and notable, writing and production accomplishment was earning a platinum certified album for former

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to A ...

finalist Clay Aiken's version of Smiley's song "Merry Christmas with Love." He has teamed with classically trained baritone, David Britton, on two released albums and one upcoming release. A solo album by Smiley, ''New Night'' (1986), centers on his

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standar ...

playing.

References

1957 births Living people American performers of Christian music Musicians from Michigan People from Farmington Hills, Michigan White Heart members {{US-musician-stub