Sammi Smith

In the vein of Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, Sammi Smith earned a reputation as a country music outlaw for her willingness to perform material that confronted the rawer aspects of contemporary existence. Her breakthrough arrived when she interpreted Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through the Night," and listeners quickly recognized the distinctive husky timbre she had developed after years performing in smoke-filled clubs.

Born Jewel Fay Smith in California, she passed her formative years across various southwestern states. At eleven she left school behind, and at twelve she launched her professional singing career in local clubs. Marriage at fifteen led to the birth of four children. Following her divorce, she heeded songwriter Gene Sullivan's advice and relocated to Nashville in 1967. One year later came her first minor chart success, "So Long, Charlie Brown, Don't Look for Me Around." Another modest entry appeared in 1970, yet it was late that same year when "Help Me Make It Through the Night" delivered her initial major triumph, topping the country survey while also reaching the pop Top Ten. Before the year closed she composed "Cedartown, Georgia," which provided Waylon Jennings with a significant hit.

In 1973 she settled in Dallas, aligning herself with Jennings and Willie Nelson to embrace the outlaw movement. Through 1975 she scored further successes with tracks such as "Then You Walk In" and "Today I Started Loving You Again." Switching to Elektra in 1975, she spent three years with the label and registered several chart appearances, among them "Loving Arms" and "Days That End in 'Y'" in 1977 plus the 1978 tribute "Norma Jean," which honored Marilyn Monroe. Signing with the independent Cyclone imprint in 1979 yielded a Top 20 single, "What a Lie." The following year she joined Sound Factory and achieved one Top 40 placement along with two Top 20 entries, including "I Cry When I'm Alone." Her final chart record arrived in 1986 with "Love Me All Over."