ROOTS of Country Music

The Professional Work of Sammi Smith 

(Aug. 5, 1943 ~ Feb. 12, 2005)

Career Highlights:

Film, Night Club, Radio & TV

• AustinCity Limits, 4
• Billy Bob'sTexas, 2
• Ernest Tubb’s  Midnight Jamboree, 3
• Gilley’s Club, 2
• Hee Haw, 4
• NashvilleNow, 4
• Pop Goes the Country, 4
• The Statler Brothers Show, 4 

1-Film, 2-Night Club, 3-Radio, 4-TV 

Billboard Chart Data 

• No. 1 Singles: 1
• Top-20 Singles: 8
• Crossover Singles: 1
• Charted Singles: 37
• Chart Years Active: (1968-1986)

Career Labels:

• Columbia Records (1968-1969)
• Mega Records (1970-1976)
• Elektra Records (1976-1978) 

Billboard Top-20 Singles

1. Help Me Make It Through the Night*#A -1970
2. Then You Walk In -1971
3. I've Got to Have You -1972
4. The Rainbow In Daddy's Eyes -1974
5. Today I Started Loving You Again
6. Loving Arms -1977
7. What a Lie -1979
8. Cheatin's aTwo WayStreet -1981

*-No. 1 Chart Single

#-Biggest Chart Single

A-Gold Chart Single

Listen to Help Me Make It Through the Night

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Help Me Make It Through the Night: The Sammi Smith Story

Arguably, Sammi Smith is one of the most underrated country music artists of all time. Many consider Sammi’s style to be a little on the wild side, but, as were many of her recordings, her greatest hit was undeniably a country classic. The song, Help Me Make It Through The Night (written by Kris Kristofferson), is a legendary country music song, hailed by Country Music Magazine as No.23 on the list for the Top 100 Country Songs Of All Time.

Sammi Smith was born inOrange County,California, in 1943 but spent her childhood inOklahoma,Texas,ArizonaandColorado. She dropped out of school at the age of eleven and began to sing professionally in nightclubs. Smith was only fifteen when she married and eventually had four children.

In 1967, she moved toNashville,Tennessee (TN), soon after her divorce. When Johnny Cash got wind of her talent (through Marshall Grant, Johnny Cash’s bass player), she was soon signed with Columbia Records. Smith produced her first minor country hit in 1968 titled So Long, Charlie Brown, Don't Look for Me Around. The song showed Smith's potential as an aspiring country singer.

Sammi toured with Waylon Jennings and, in 1970, signed with Mega Records. However, Sammi had met Kris Kristofferson at Columbia Records. Kristofferson, noted for his writing of many country hits including For The Good Times, Me and Bobby McGee and Sunday Morning Coming Down; had written a song called Help Me Make It Through The Night. After an initial minor hit at Mega, Sammi recorded Kristofferson's song. Help Me Make It Through the Night was Sammi Smith's career hit and the one that made her famous. Smith was named 1970 CMA Top Female Vocalist and won the 1971 Grammy for the Best Country Vocal Performance - Female.

In 1973, Sammi joined the outlaw movement of Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson when she moved toDallasto join and perform with them. Smith was one of the rare women in the outlaw country movement sweeping country music in the 1970s. At this time, country was moving in two directions; outlaw and a more mainstream pop sound. However, outlaw country would be short-lived, with country taking on a distinctly pop cast by the end of the '70s. Smith would still remain with the outlaw sound throughout the 1970s.

Smith continued to have success with the Mega Records label until 1975. She reached the top-10 twice with Then You Walk In (1971) and Today I Started Loving You Again (No. 9, 1975), her final top-10 single. Smith's songs would not catch much fire during the rest of her career. She continued to score a few minor chart singles through 1975. In 1976, after Mega Records closed its doors, Smith signed with Elektra Records and charted several minor hits, the biggest of these were Sunday School to Broadway (1976), Loving Arms (1977). By the mid-180s, her charting career had essentially ended, but she remained popular on the touring circuit. Few artists have enjoyed the success that Sammi Smith did with Help Me Make It Through The Night.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Researched, written and compiled by Richard Bell. Roots of Country Music. Feb. 15, 2012.