Grant Maloy Smith

Story

A dynamic performer, Grant Maloy Smith personifies a whole new kind of American Roots. His songs tell heartfelt stories about real people, and are unfailingly optimistic and forward looking. In addition to being a Billboard Top 10 recording artist, he is also the winner of Best Americana Artist by the Indie Music Channel, and two Grammy certificates for his work on Grammy-winning® albums. He performs frequently in southern Appalachia: Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia - however he has performed everywhere from the Troubadour in Los Angeles to Carnegie Hall in New York, and most places in between. He has also played in Europe, including a recent tour in northern Italy. Equally at home as a solo artist and with his Nashville band, Grant is an engaging performer who delights audiences with his southern humor and passion. His most recent album "Dust Bowl - American Stories" spent 17 weeks on the Billboard charts, including eleven weeks in the TOP 10 of the Americana/Folk Album Sales Chart, and reached as high as #12 on the Country Album Sales Chart, and #2 on the Heatseekers Chart (across all genres). The album continues to earn rave reviews, like this one from NO DEPRESSION, the bible of American Roots music: “Grant’s ability to capture the heartland in his music is amazing ... he has written A heartland masterpiece ... lyrics and music as potent as Woody Guthrie ... sent chills down my spine ... bound to become a classic ... A reminder of the darker period of Bob Dylan, and it’s that good, that memorable...” His charming Christmas song “Fly Possum Fly” (featuring county singing sensation EmiSunshine) was both a radio single and a children’s book. Grant added book festivals and book signings to his itinerary, which continues now as a second book in the series, published by Headline Books. His song “Man Of Steel” has been selected by the National Veterans Foundation (www.nvf.org) as their official theme song. His latest single “I See You” was released with the support of Masterpiece Living, an organization dedicated to creating better lives for our elders. And a song he wrote, “I Reckon,” was recorded by country star Jeff Clayborn, and has spent weeks on the MusicRow CountryBreakout chart. Grant Maloy Smith is a member of the CMA, AMA, NARAS (The Grammys®) and is the co-founder of the Indie Collaborative, a group of more than 2000 independent musicians and music industry professionals. He is affiliated with BMI, and his music is distributed by Sony Orchard.

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What is music to you? What does it give you?

Music is life. Music brings people together. It heals all wounds and broken hearts.

What is your music dream?

To play at the Grand Old Opry

If you could change the world - what would you start with?

People mistreating each other. That's our biggest problem as a species.

Which is the most memorable song from your childhood?

I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND by the Beatles. I was just a little kid, but it rocked my world!

Who are your favorite musical artists or bands?

It starts with Mozart and goes to Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie, Alison Krauss, The Beatles (when I was a kid), and so many more.

What inspires you to make music?

Hearing music inspires me to make my own music. Then things just happen in life that make me want to capture it in song.

How do you feel when you perform in front of an audience?

Like I'm walking on a cloud. I love it. I never get stage fright or feel nervous about it.

What frustrates you most as a musician?

Getting talent buyers to respond to emails or telephone calls.