| Jo Smith | |
| Birth Name: | Joanna Shae Smith |
| Alias: | Joanna Smith |
| Origin: | Crestview, Georgia, U.S. |
| Instrument: | Vocals, Guitar |
| Genre: | Country |
| Occupation: | Singer-songwriter |
| Years Active: | 2007–present |
| Label: | Columbia Nashville RCA Nashville SMACKRecords |
| Associated Acts: | Shane McAnally, Billy Ray Cyrus, Trent Willmon |
Joanna Smith is an American country music singer. Before graduating from Vanderbilt University in 2018, she attended Auburn University for one year before pursuing a music career by playing with Mustang Sally at age eighteen. After leaving the band she began songwriting and recording demos. After signing to a publishing contract with Big Borrassa Music, she wrote two songs for other artists, including "Flying By", which was recorded by Billy Ray Cyrus on his 2007 album Home at Last.[1] [2] Also in 2007, Smith's rendition of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" was included on the Song of America compilation album.
In 2010, she signed a contract with Columbia Records Nashville and released her debut single, "Gettin' Married".[3] The song charted on Hot Country Songs and was made into a music video, directed by Trey Fanjoy.[4]
Stormy Lewis of Roughstock gave Smith's song a four-star rating, comparing it to the Dixie Chicks and Lorrie Morgan.[5] Jim Malec, writing for American Twang, gave it a thumbs-down, calling Smith's vocal "shrill and thin".[6] In August 2011, Sony Music Nashville announced that Smith and labelmate Bradley Gaskin will transfer to BNA Records as part of a corporate restructuring. After BNA closed, she moved again to RCA. That label released her third single, "We Can't Be Friends". It received 4.5 stars from Taste of Country.[7] A fourth single, "Girls Are Crazy", was released to country radio on April 29, 2013.
In 2014 Joanna, also known as Jo, signed a publishing deal with Shane McAnally's company SMACKSongs.[8] In 2016 she released an EP under the name Jo Smith called Introducing Jo Smith.[9] The EP was produced by Shane McAnally (Kacey Musgraves, Sam Hunt, Old Dominion) and Jesse Frasure (Thomas Rhett). The lead single, "Old School Groove"[10] was released as a Sirius XM Highway Find in early 2017. She has been included in Nashville Lifestyles' 2017 Ones to Watch,[11] Rolling Stone Country's New Artists You Need to Know,[12] and premiered the music video for "Old School Groove" on CMT.[13] Currently she is the cohost on Coffee Country and Cody on Circle TV network.
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Georgia Mud |
|
| Be What It Wants to Be |
|
| Introducing Jo Smith |
|
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [14] | US Country Airplay [15] | |||
| 2010 | "Gettin' Married" | 55 | — | Georgia Mud |
| 2011 | "Georgia Mud" | 57 | — | |
| 2012 | "We Can't Be Friends" | 55 | 52 | Be What It Wants to Be |
| 2013 | "Girls Are Crazy" | — | — | |
| 2017 | "Old School Groove" | — | — | Introducing Jo Smith |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Gettin' Married" | Trey Fanjoy |
| 2012 | "We Can't Be Friends"[16] | Ry Cox |
| 2017 | "Old School Groove" | Jor.by |