Monday Music #14: Michael W. Smith: Freedom

Michael W. Smith is a well known and respected Christian singer.  He has a lot of excellent music that is listened to a fair amount around our house.  This song I am choosing to highlight today is significantly different than most of his other music.  Actually the whole album is instrumental and largely piano and orchestra music as opposed to his typical rock Christian songs.  When I heard the song Freedom from the album by the same name recently I thought it would be perfect to show on my blog for the fourth of July. 

Michael started writing songs at age five, although he dreamed of himself as a great baseball player until he dropped out of college and moved to Nashville to do his music. 

After receiving his first contract to write music he thought he was in heaven.  That is until one day when his attention was distracted from the music.  He wrote:  "Then one afternoon while I was working in my office, Deborah Kay Davis walked by.
I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. When she passed by, it was all over for me. I was blown away. Totally head over heels in love. I frantically picked up the phone and called my mother in West Virginia.
'Mom, I can’t believe it. You’re not going to believe this, Mom. I just saw the girl I’m going to marry.
'What’s her name?'
'I don’t know, Mom. I haven’t met her yet. But I gotta go. I’ll find out and call you back.'
My poor mother! She must have thought I’d lost my mind. But I’d never been so clearheaded in my life.
I left my office and went searching for this girl in the warehouse. Sherlock Holmes couldn’t have done a better job of tracking her down, and eventually I found myself standing outside the ladies’ restroom, waiting for her to emerge. She walked out. I introduced myself. We were engaged three and a half weeks later – and married four months after that!"

Michael W. Smith and wife

Michael started playing in a band that was asked to open for Amy Grant.  Her managers were so impressed with Michael that they decided to start a record company to get his music out there.  On his first record he wrote all the music and his wife all the lyrics.  From there he has come out with many records. 

Michael W. Smith and family

Michael has founded a record company, prayer groups and eventually a church.  He and his wife have had five children and now have two grandchildren.  Michael wants to be remembered as "a God-fearing man who loved his wife and kids well".

Michael W. Smith: Freedom

The Album