Granger Smith

Granger Kelly Smith (born September 4, 1979),[1][2] also known by his alter ego, Earl Dibbles Jr,[3] is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has released ten studio albums, one live album, and two EPs. He has charted six times on the country airplay with, "Backroad Song", "If the Boot Fits", "Happens Like That", "You're in It", “That’s Why I Love Dirt Roads” and “Hate You Like I Love You”.

Granger Smith
Background information
Birth nameGranger Kelly Smith
Also known asEarl Dibbles Jr.
Born (1979-09-04) September 4, 1979
Dallas, Texas
GenresCountry
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
InstrumentsVocals, guitar
Years active1998–present
LabelsThirty Tigers, Wheelhouse
Websitewww.grangersmith.com

Early life

Smith was born in Dallas, Texas. At 14, he became interested in music and decided to pursue it as a hobby, teaching himself guitar.[4] At 19, Smith moved from Texas to Nashville after signing a songwriting contract with EMI Music Publishing.

Musical career

Granger Smith was signed to a contract at the age of nineteen in Nashville. He has performed three times at the White House, and in 2008 he traveled to perform for soldiers in Iraq and Kuwait.[4] His 2013 album Dirt Road Driveway peaked at number 15 on US country charts and number 11 on US indie charts.

On August 12, 2015, Smith announced he had signed with Broken Bow Records imprint Wheelhouse Records. Smith's EP 4x4 was co-produced by Smith and Frank Rogers. The album debuted on the Top Country Albums chart at number 6, and reached number 51 on Billboard 200. The lead single from the album was "Backroad Song", which sold over 32,000 downloads in its first week of release.

Some of Smith's recordings make use of an assistant named Earl Dibbles Jr.[5]

In December 2018, Smith released a single from his soundtrack album called They Were There, A Hero's Documentary, which came out on November 30, 2018.[6] "They Were There" and its music video came out on the same day, December 7, 2018.[7]

On July 19, 2019, Smith performed for an audience of 86,000 as the opening act for the Garth Brooks Stadium Tour at the Albertsons Stadium in Boise.[8]

Personal life

He married Amber Emily Bartlett on February 11, 2010. They met on the set of the music video for Smith's song "Don't Listen to the Radio", and she has been featured in several of his music videos since. The couple has one daughter and two sons.[9]

On June 6, 2019, Smith announced that the couple's youngest son, River Kelly Smith, had died following a drowning accident at their home.[10] River had previously appeared in the video for "Happens Like That".[9]

Discography
Main article: Granger Smith discography

Awards and nominations
YearAwardCategoryRecipient/WorkResultRef
2016BMI AwardsBMI Country Award"Backroad Song"Won[11]
2017iHeartRadio Music AwardsBest New Country ArtistGranger SmithNominated[12]
2020 CMT Music Awards Best Quarantine Song "Don't Cough On Me" Won [13]

References
  1. "Amber Bartlett Smith on Twitter: "Happy birthday to this stud! My soul mate, best friend, my happiness. We love you baby ❤️🎉 @GrangerSmith"". Twitter. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  2. "Granger K Smith, Phone Number, Address & Background Info". Intelius.com. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  3. Freeman, Jon (March 30, 2016). "Granger Smith on Blurring Lines With His Redneck Alter Ego". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  4. Johnson, Natalie. "Granger Smith returns from Iraq, Kuwait, and White House". Lubbock-Avalanche Journal. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
  5. "Who Is Earl Dibbles Jr.?". Country Countdown USA. February 11, 2017.
  6. "Granger Smith New Documentary called 'They Were There, A Hero's Documentary (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'". iTunes. November 30, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  7. "Granger Smith New Single Music Released from 'They Were There, A Hero's Documentary (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'". YouTube. December 7, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  8. "The Garth Brooks Stadium Tour", Wikipedia, April 2, 2020, retrieved April 17, 2020
  9. Thiel, Mike. "Granger Smith's Real-Life Love Story Plays Out in 'Happens Like That' Music Video". Taste of Country. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  10. Wigdor, Andrew (June 6, 2019). "Country singer Granger Smith announces death of 3-year-old son". USA Today. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  11. "Granger Smith Accepts BMI Country Award and Celebrates 50th Annual CMA Awards". Nashville Country Club. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  12. "Here's The Complete List Of #iHeartAwards Winners | iHeartRadio Music Awards | iHeartRadio". iHeartRadio. Archived from the original on March 6, 2017. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  13. Bonaguro, Alison. "What Would 2020 Be Without a Quarantine Video of the Year Award?". CMT News. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
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