Mama Jan Smith is an American singer, songwriter, vocal coach and Grammy-nominated music producer from

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, who founded Jan Smith Studios.

Studio career

Mama Jan Smith began her musical career as a performer, singer and songwriter, releasing her first album at the age of 15. She has recorded albums both as a solo artist and with music projects, including her 1995 solo release ''Rain'' on Rogue Records, and releases from the Jan Smith Band and the Eclectic Cowboys. She also provided background vocals for

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on their 1997 release ''Partly Plugged''. As the founder of Jan Smith Studios, Inc. in Atlanta, Smith is a vocal coach/producer providing services for a wide range of vocalists, including Rob Thomas, Usher,

Ciara Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. She was discovered by record producer Jazze Pha in the early 2000s, and rose to prominence with her debut studio album, ''Goodies ...

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and MattyB. Smith has appeared as a guest on television and in documentaries, including '' Duets'', ''Behind the Scenes'', '' R U the Girl?'', ''

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'', and in the documentary '' Justin Bieber: Never Say Never''. She also co-wrote and produced the Justin Bieber song "Where Are You Now?", which appeared as a bonus track on the Australian and Wal-Mart versions of the singer's debut album '' My World 2.0''.

Publications, organizations and awards

Smith has written two books. The first, ''So You Want To Sing Rock-n-Roll'', is a guide for singers who want to become artists. The second, ''Run The Other Way'', is a compilation of her autobiographical writings on her spiritual beliefs. In 2002, she teamed up with producer Huston Singletary to form Smith & Huston Productions, a production facility that worked primarily with unsigned artists to produce demos. In 2010, she founded Plumbline Music Group with business partners Andre Young and Jeffrey Wooten. The company offers a range of music industry services, including production, marketing, management and legal representation. In 2011 Smith, along with businessman Jim Ramseur, founded the Bridge Music Foundation, a non-profit that teaches aspiring musicians the business aspects of a musical career. Smith was inducted into the

Georgia Music Hall of Fame The Georgia Music Hall of Fame was a hall of fame to recognize music performers and music industry professionals from or connected to the state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It began with efforts of the state's lieutenant governor Zell Mill ...

on September 17, 2011, and presented with the Chairmen's Award. Usher and Justin Bieber were present at the ceremony, joining her on stage. She was also recognized by

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...

, when she was honored in 2011 at ASCAP Rhythm & Soul's 3rd Annual Women Behind the Music Series. She has served as a member of the

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (NARAS), doing business as The Recording Academy, is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely kno ...

, for 25 years, including as a trustee of the Atlanta Chapter, and is a member of the

Nashville Songwriters Association International The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) is a 501(c) Non-profit organization, not-for-profit trade organization that works to help songwriters in three ways: through legislative advocacy, through education and advice about the ...

, and the Georgia Music Industry Association. In 2005, she was named as a member of the expert committee for the Chinese Golden Disc Awards, awards that recognize artists, acts and members of the Chinese recording industry. In 2012, Smith was nominated for a

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

for the Diane Warren song "Born To Be Somebody." Produced by Smith and co-produced by

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, the song was part of the documentary ''Justin Bieber: Never Say Never'', and earned a nomination for Best Song for Visual Media.

References

External links

Jan Smith Studios

Bridge Music Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Jan Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American rock songwriters American rock singers American gospel singers American women singer-songwriters Musicians from Atlanta American vocal coaches Record producers from Georgia (U.S. state) American women record producers 21st-century American women Singer-songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state)