In one of her most famous quotes, Dolly Parton said, “There’s really only three female singers in the world: Streisand, Ronstadt and Connie Smith.” It’s high praise from one Country Music Hall of Fame member to another, and it rings true when listening to Smith’s songs about real-life pain (“The Hurtin’s All Over”) and boundless faith (“God is Abundant”). Like Parton, Smith took a rags-to-riches journey to the spotlight, where her religious beliefs still keep her focus steady in a turbulent business.
Born Constance June Meador on Aug. 14, 1941, in Elkhart, Indiana and raised in West Virginia and Ohio, the future Connie Smith grew up with 13 siblings in an abusive household. Among the happy memories from her childhood were hours spent listening to the Grand Ole Opry on the radio.
