Biography
Initially employed as a kindergarten instructor, Margo Smith performed folk and country material for her young charges and often penned original pieces for those sessions. Appearances at PTA gatherings followed, along with subsequent radio broadcasts that helped cultivate an audience. A demo led to a 1975 contract with 20th Century Fox Records, where her self-penned “There I Said It” became a major success. The next release, “Paper Lovin’,” climbed into the Top 30 and supported a full album project, yet the label soon shuttered its Nashville operations and released her from the roster.
Warner Brothers signed her the next year, yielding three Top Ten entries by 1977 that included “Take My Breath Away” and her first chart-topping single, “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You.” Another number-one hit arrived in 1978 with “It Only Hurts for a Little While,” while the follow-up “Little Things Mean a Lot” also registered strongly. A mid-chart duet with producer Norro Wilson billed as Margo & Norro, “So Close Again,” appeared around the same period. Extensive touring with her band Night Flight closed out the decade, sharing bills with Conway Twitty, Tammy Wynette, Kenny Rogers, and Charley Pride.
Two major singles in 1979 prompted a shift toward a more alluring presentation, evidenced by the satin-robed portrait on the cover of Just Margo; three additional hits followed that year, among them the Rex Allen, Jr. collaboration “Cup of Tea.” Reverting to an earlier wholesome style in the early 1980s, Smith joined the AMI label in 1982 without registering any chart singles. Continued moves among imprints through 1985 produced only one modest success, the Tom Grant duet “Everyday People.” That same year she issued the television-marketed tribute The Best of the Tennessee Yodeler honoring yodeler Bonnie Lou.
Cammeron Records, established by her manager, became her next home and delivered no chart activity until the minor 1988 entry “Echo Me.” Acting roles on TNN’s I-40 Paradise occupied part of the decade as well. Forming the gospel duo Margo Smith & Holly with her daughter, the pair recorded for Homeland Records and achieved airplay on contemporary Christian outlets. Margo Smith died on January 23, 2024, at the age of 84.
Warner Brothers signed her the next year, yielding three Top Ten entries by 1977 that included “Take My Breath Away” and her first chart-topping single, “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You.” Another number-one hit arrived in 1978 with “It Only Hurts for a Little While,” while the follow-up “Little Things Mean a Lot” also registered strongly. A mid-chart duet with producer Norro Wilson billed as Margo & Norro, “So Close Again,” appeared around the same period. Extensive touring with her band Night Flight closed out the decade, sharing bills with Conway Twitty, Tammy Wynette, Kenny Rogers, and Charley Pride.
Two major singles in 1979 prompted a shift toward a more alluring presentation, evidenced by the satin-robed portrait on the cover of Just Margo; three additional hits followed that year, among them the Rex Allen, Jr. collaboration “Cup of Tea.” Reverting to an earlier wholesome style in the early 1980s, Smith joined the AMI label in 1982 without registering any chart singles. Continued moves among imprints through 1985 produced only one modest success, the Tom Grant duet “Everyday People.” That same year she issued the television-marketed tribute The Best of the Tennessee Yodeler honoring yodeler Bonnie Lou.
Cammeron Records, established by her manager, became her next home and delivered no chart activity until the minor 1988 entry “Echo Me.” Acting roles on TNN’s I-40 Paradise occupied part of the decade as well. Forming the gospel duo Margo Smith & Holly with her daughter, the pair recorded for Homeland Records and achieved airplay on contemporary Christian outlets. Margo Smith died on January 23, 2024, at the age of 84.
Albums
