NASHVILLE, TN (CelebrityAccess)– Margo Smith, a country and Christian music singer–songwriter known as the The Tennessee Yodeler, died on January 23 in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 84.
Her passing was reported by the Springfield News-Sun which said Smith died from complications of a stroke that she suffered several days before her passing.
Born in Ohio, Smith went on to a successful career in country music, recording a string of country hits in the 1970s that included #1s such as “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You” (1977) and “It Only Hurts for a Little While” (1978).
She was a regular on the Grand Ole Opry and toured with artists such as Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Kenny Rogers.
In the mid-1980s, Smith pivoted to pop, releasing several albums, including 1987’s The Best Yet, which included “Echo Me” which would prove to be her final charting single.
In the early 1990s, Smith pivoted again and moved into contemporary Christian music, recording several albums with her daughter, including Just the Beginning in 1991. Smith and her daughter were nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year at the second annual Christian Country Music Awards in 1994.
Smith was married twice, first to Ken Smith with whom she had two children before separating in the early 1970s. She later married Richard Cammeron, who would become her manager and head of Cammeron Records, through which Smith released several albums and singles.
Smith was nominated for Most Promising Female Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music in 1976 and won the ASCAP Country Artist of the Year award in 1979. In 2001, Smith was presented with the Christian Country Music Association’s Living award.
A celebration of life for Margo will be held Friday, February 2, 2024, at 2:00 PM at Harpeth Christian Church, 1101 Gardner Drive, Franklin, TN 37064.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Music City Christian Fellowship.
