Anthony Smith
Ralph Anthony Smith is an award-winning singer and songwriter who was born and raised in Scott County. He has written songs for some of the most iconic country music artists, like George Strait, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, Montgomery Gentry and others.
Early Life
Anthony Smith is the son of Ralph Smith (1936-2007) and Carol Kitts Smith (1942-2020) of Oneida. He traces his musical interests back to the age of five, and by the age of nine he had joined his first band. By age 12, he was arranging music at his church.
Born and raised in Scott County, Smith graduated from Oneida High School and went on to work at the Hartco flooring plant in Oneida before moving to Kentucky to pursue a music career when he was in his early 20s.
Smith cites his early musical influences as artists like Johnny Paycheck, Johnny Cash, Aerosmith, ZZ Top and Led Zeppelin.
Music Career
In Kentucky, Smith joined the house band Sneaky Pete, based in London, Ky., which performed at the Soundstage Club. He used his time in the band as a stepping stone to a bigger career in Nashville, where he landed a spot at a singer/songwriter showcase at The Broken Spoke.
It was once he was in Nashville that Mercury Nashville boss Luke Lewis received a demo of Smith’s music. Liking what he heard, Lewis offered Smith a recording contract.
Smith began working on his debut album, If That Ain’t Country, in 2001. It was released in 2002 on the Mercury Nashville label.
The album produced three singles that charged on the U.S. Country charts, including “If That Ain’t Country,” “John J. Blanchard” and “Half A Man.”
Several of the songs from Smith’s debut album were covered by other artists, including “John J. Blanchard,” a song about a comatose nursing home patient, which was recorded by Tommy Shane Steiner, and “Metropolis,” a song loosely based on Smith’s hometown of Oneida, which was recorded by Sammy Kershaw. Also, “That’s What Brothers Do” was recorded by Confederate Railroad.
In the meantime, Smith emerged as a highly sought-after songwriter. Songs to his credit include “Run” and “Cowboys Like Us” by George Strait, “I’m Tryin'” and “Chrome” by Trace Adkins, “Didn’t I” and “What Do Ya Think About That” by Montgomery Gentry, “My Worst Fear” by Rascal Flatts, “Kristofferson” by Tim McGraw and “Chasing Down A Good Time” by Randy Houser.
Smith also wrote songs by Faith Hill, Blake Shelton, Halfway to Hazard and others.
Smith left Mercury Nashville shortly after the release of his debut single and later signed Stroudavarious Records. His first single for the label was “Bringing’ Back the Sunshine” in 2009, which debuted at No. 60 on the Hot Country Songs chart. He later formed his own label, Krankit Records, with the name based on the opening phrase from Smith’s most popular song, “If That Ain’t Country.” His first release on his own label was “Love is Love is Love.”
Smith’s “Didn’t I,” performed by Montgomery Gentry, was included on the soundtrack of We Were Soldiers, a 2002 film about the Vietnam War starring Mel Gibson.
Smith’s awards include “Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year” by Music Row Magazine, as well as other awards from BMI, ASCAP and NSAI.
Connection to Scott County
Anthony Smith still has family in Scott County and often returns home to visit. He has played multiple concerts locally, including the inaugural White Knuckle Festival at Brimstone Recreation and others at Oneida High School’s Performing Arts Center.
Smith’s great-grandfather, John J. “Hawk” Smith (1866-1949), was a noted moonshiner in the part of Scott County that is now the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area. In 2016, Smith announced plans to build a moonshine distillery in Scott County that would be branded after Hawk Smith.