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Melinda Leigh Smith (born June 1, 1972) is an American singer-songwriter. Her first record deal came after she sang a cover version of the song "Jolene" by Dolly Parton.
Smith and her father moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, where she began listening to folk music and bluegrass music, Alison Krauss, and the Cox Family. In 1998, she moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music. Two years later, she reached the finals of a contest at the Kerrville Folk Festival. This led to a contract with Big Yellow Dog Music.
Smith attracted attention in 2003 when she sang a cover version of "Jolene" by Dolly Parton for the tribute album . Soon after, she signed a contract with Vanguard Records, who released her debut album, One Moment More in 2004. In addition to Dolly Parton, she has expressed admiration for John Prine, Alison Krauss, Patty Griffin, Shania Twain, Kris Kristofferson, Buddy Miller, and Bill Gaither.
"Come to Jesus" was her biggest hit, receiving airplay on country music, Christian music, adult album alternative (AAA), and adult contemporary radio. The song charted at No. 32 on the Adult Top 40 chart of Billboard magazine. In 2004 Smith appeared at the Cambridge Folk Festival in the U.K., which was broadcast nationally on BBC Radio.
In October 2006, Smith released "Out Loud", the first single from her second album Long Island Shores. The song was well received by AAA rock radio and Country Music Television (CMT). On January 10, 2007, she performed "Please Stay" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
In October 2007, Smith released a Christmas album, My Holiday. She wrote six original songs, including "I Know the Reason" with Thad Cockrell.
In August 2009, Smith released her fourth studio album, Stupid Love. She appeared on The Early Show on August 15, 2009, to perform the first single, "Highs and Lows". On September 29, 2009, while promoting the album on the syndicated radio show World Cafe, she disclosed that she had obsessive–compulsive disorder.
In June 2012, Smith released an eponymous independent studio album on her own Giant Leap label, in conjunction with TVX. In October of the same year, Vanguard Records released a compilation album of her songs, "The Essential Mindy Smith".
On October 29, 2013, Smith released a holiday EP entitled Snowed In on Giant Leap/TVX. The release contained both original Christmas songs and cover material.
Between 2015 and 2018, Smith contributed (as sole writer or co-writer) several songs to the musical television drama series Nashville. She is credited on four of the songs performed by cast members and appearing on the soundtrack in the series' final three seasons.
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||
| 2003 ! scope="row" | "Jolene" (with Dolly Parton) | — | — | One Moment More |
| 2004 ! scope="row" | "Come to Jesus" | 32 | — | |
| 2006 ! scope="row" | "Out Loud" | — | — | Long Island Shores |
| 2007 ! scope="row" | "Please Stay" | — | — | |
| 2009 ! scope="row" | "Highs and Lows" | — | — | Stupid Love |
| 2012 ! scope="row" | "Closer" | — | — | Mindy Smith |
| 2018 ! scope="row" | "Better Boat" | — | 25 | Songs for the Saints |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
| 2003 ! scope="row" | "Jolene" | Trey Fanjoy |
| 2004 ! scope="row" | "Come to Jesus" | Sophie Muller |
| 2005 ! scope="row" | "One Moment More" | |
| 2006 ! scope="row" | "Out Loud" | Traci Goudie |
| 2011 ! scope="row" | "Taking You with Me" (with Daniel Tashian) | |
| 2012 ! scope="row" | "Closer" | Fairlight Hubbard/Ryan Hamblin |
| 2013 ! scope="row" | "Anymore of This" (with Matthew Perryman Jones) | Fairlight Hubbard |
| 2015 ! scope="row" | "On Top of the World" | |
| 2021 ! scope="row" | "Cure for Love" |
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