All ‘Signs’ point to Smith show
Michael W. Smith’s latest CD is called “The Second Decade.”
The nation’s top Christian musician is not beginning his second decade; he’s finishing it. The CD contains hit songs from 1993-2003, the second decade of a career that begin in 1983.
He now begins his third decade, with a new inspirational book called “Signs” and a tour called the One Nation Tour, which hits Riverfront Park on Saturday at 6 p.m.
In those three decades, Smith has been no stranger to Spokane and environs. This performance will be his sixth visit in five years, including shows at the Spokane Arena, the Spokane Opera House and the Gorge.
That’s a lot of appearances, but Smith has the stature and the material to handle it. He has won a pair of Grammys and 27 Dove Awards, the Christian music equivalent of the Grammys. His music isn’t familiar only to Christian-radio listeners, either; he has had nine crossover hits on adult-contemporary radio, including a No. 1 hit in 1992 with “I Will Be Here for You.”
Yet he remains committed to a strong spiritual streak in his music. In fact, he has released two CDs of church worship music, “Worship” and “Worship Again.”
“Most people know my pop stuff,” Smith told a Spokesman-Review reporter last year. “Now fans realize I’m a worship leader as well.”
His new book, “Signs,” is also infused with his spiritual values. The publishers describe it as “part advice column, part field guide and part journal to help young adults navigate the tricky business of coming-of-age.”
Music remains Smith’s main medium, however. “Signs” is based on his song of the same name from “The Second Decade,” and the book includes a DVD of the music video of the song.
The West Virginia native began his career as a keyboard player for Amy Grant. His big break came in 1983 when he recorded his own album, “The Michael W. Smith Project.”
Smith has always used his fame and talent for the things he believes in. He founded a teen club in Tennessee and helped found a congregation near his home called the New River Fellowship.
Recently, he joined the U2’s Bono and NBA player Dikembe Mutombo in front of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall to push for America to do more in the fight against global AIDS and extreme poverty.