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Anthony Smith

Birth name:

Ralph Anthony Smith

Born:

 

Origin:

Warsaw, Indiana

Years active:

2002–present

Labels:

Mercury Nashville, Stroudavarious, Krankit

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Ralph Anthony Smith (born in Warsaw, Indiana) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer. As a musician, Smith recorded his first album, If That Ain't Country, on Mercury Nashville Records in 2003. The album produced three Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts. Smith has also written singles for Tim McGraw, Trace Adkins, Montgomery Gentry and George Strait. He released an EP in 2009 on Stroudavarious Records.

Anthony Smith was born in Warsaw, Indiana, but moved to eastern Tennessee soon after. His musical interests began at an early age. At age nine, he had joined his first band, and by age twelve he was arranging music at his church. Smith moved to Kentucky in his early 20s and joined several bands. Luke Lewis, the boss of Mercury Nashville Records, received a demo tape of Smith's music, and in 2000, he signed the artist to a record deal. Meanwhile, Smith wrote songs for other artists, including "Run" by George Strait, "I'm Tryin'" and "Chrome" by Trace Adkins, "Didn't I" by Montgomery Gentry, and "What Brothers Do" by Confederate Railroad. Smith co-wrote both of the Trace Adkins cuts with Jeffrey Steele.

Smith's debut album was released on Mercury Nashville in 2002, the same year that he was granted a songwriting deal from BMI. The album, titled If That Ain't Country, produced three Top 40 singles, of which the title track (another Jeffrey Steele co-write) was the highest-charting. After exiting Mercury in 2003, Smith continued to write songs for other artists, including "Cowboys Like Us", another single release by George Strait. He also co-produced Trick Pony's 2005 album R.I.D.E.. In 2007, two other singles that Smith co-wrote entered the country charts "Daisy" by Halfway to Hazard, and "What Do Ya Think About That", another release by Montgomery Gentry. In 2008, Tim McGraw charted in the Top 20 with "Kristofferson", which Smith co-wrote with Reed Nielsen. Later that year, he signed to a second recording contract, this time with Stroudavarious Records. His first single for the label, "Bringin' Back the Sunshine", was released in July 2009, and debuted and peaked at #60 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Smith also released an extended play for the label, then left in early 2010 to form his own label, Krankit Records. His first release on this label was "Love Is Love Is Love."