American country music singer-songwriter Connie Smith was born August 14, 1941 as Constance June Meador in Elkhart, Indiana. She grew up in West Virginia and Ohio. She was the daughter of Hobart and Wilma Meador. When Connie was a teenager, she was injured in a lawnmower accident. It was very serious; her leg was nearly cut off. While she was recovering, someone gave her a guitar and she learned to play different chords on it. On April 11, 1968, Connie was saved and began her life as a Christian. On July 24, 1970, she did a show at an Indian reservation in Mississippi. There she met a twelve year old boy named Marty Stuart who told his mother that someday he was going to marry Connie. Years later, Marty became her fourth husband. In 1961, Connie married ferro analyst Jerry Smith. They had one child, a son, before divorcing in the mid-60’s. Shortly afterward, she married Jack Watkins, a guitarist in her touring band. This was a short-lived marriage, but they had one child before divorcing. Connie then married telephone repairman Marshall Haynes shortly after that. They had three daughters before divorcing in the early 1990’s. She said that she would never marry again, but on July 8, 1997 at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, she exchanged marriage vows with country music singer-songwriter and musician Marty Stuart. Those five children mentioned earlier are Darren Justin Smith, born March 9, 1963; Kerry Watkins; Jeanne Haynes, Julie Haynes and Jodie Haynes.

Connie is known for her #1 hit song “Once a Day”.

Awards/Honors:
1964 & 1965: Billboard Magazine Most Promising Female Country Artist
1965: Cash Box Most Promising Female Country Vocalist
1965: Country Music Review Most Promising Female Singer
1966: Cash Box Most Programmed Female Artist
1966: Country Music Life Award Favorite Female Artist
1966: Record World Top Female Vocalist
1966: Record World Most Outstanding Female Country & Western Vocalist
1979: Music City News Awards Gospel Group/Act of the Year
2002: CMT 40 Greatest Women of Country Music #9
2007: Country Universe 100 Greatest Women, Rank #24
2012: CMA Country Music Hall of Fame Induction
Aug. 26, 2014: Hendersonville, TN celebrates Connie Smith Day