Michael Peter Smith
| Michael Peter Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 7, 1941 South Orange, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock, Folk rock |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1962–present |
| Labels |
Decca Records (1960s) Flying Fish Records (1980s-Present) |
| Associated acts | Anne Hills |
| Website | michaelsmithmusic |
Michael Peter Smith (born September 7, 1941) is a Chicago-based singer-songwriter. Rolling Stone Magazine once called him "The greatest songwriter in the English language". He has been singing and composing since the 1960s, and his rich and challenging songs have been recorded by more than 30 performers.
He is best known for writing "The Dutchman", which was popularized by Steve Goodman and also recorded by Suzy Bogguss, Celtic Thunder,Liam Clancy, Norm Hacking, Anne Hills, Mara Levine and Si Khan,John McDermott, the New Kingston Trio, Gamble Rogers, Tom Russell, Jerry Jeff Walker, Robert James Waller, Josh White Jr., and Bernard Wrigley.
Smith was born in South Orange, New Jersey, a rough-edged factory town and shades of it linger throughout his writing. He attended Catholic schools (Our Lady of the Valley and Our Lady of Sorrows), which would shape much of his writing. A notable example is his song "Sister Clarissa".
Smith had three younger sisters and they were the basis for his autobiographical play Michael, Margaret, Pat and Kate, originally presented at the Victory Gardens in Chicago. The play is Smith's story of his upbringing and family relationships surrounding his father's early death.
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Wikipedia