In 1963, Connie Smith was a housewife and mother, spending her days and nights doing everything which that routine requires. She had little time for anything else, but on the rare occasions that she was able to get out of the house, she enjoyed singing at local events, fairs or some sort of stage show in the area.
These moments spent under a small-time spotlight energized her. Smith was in her early twenties in August of ’63 when she entered a talent contest at the Frontier Ranch Country Music Park near Columbus, Ohio.
It just so happened that one of Nashville’s most-respected singer/songwriters, Bill Anderson, was performing at the venue and, when asked by management if he could spare a little bit of his time and help judge the talent contest between the matinee and nighttime shows, he said he’d be glad to.
