Born in eastern Tennessee, this musician was in love with music from an early age. As a youngster, he would often gaze upon his father's baby blue Fender guitar. By the time Smith was six or seven, he was playing guitar and learning various songs. Smith was exposed to a variety of music, ranging from country artists such as Johnny Paycheck and Johnny Cash to '70s rock groups such as Aerosmith, ZZ Top, and Led Zeppelin. By his early twenties, Smith moved to Kentucky to hone his musical skills. While in Kentucky, he became a member of Sneaky Pete, a house band that would perform at the Soundstage Club. Telling everyone that this was a stepping stone to Nashville, he moved to Nashville a few years later. After networking through his contacts at labels and also numerous songwriters, he got a spot at a regular singer/songwriter's showcase at Nashville's The Broken Spoke. Mercury Nashville boss Luke Lewis received a demo of Smith's music and immediately liked what he heard. After offering Smith a home, Smith began writing for artists such as Lorrie Morgan, Sammy Kershaw, Lonestar, and Montgomery Gentry. His song "Didn't I" was also featured on the We Were Soldiers soundtrack. In 2001, Smith started work on his debut solo album. In June 2002, If That Ain't Country was released on Mercury Nashville. ~ Jason MacNeil