Corey Smith lives “The Good Life” at GCSU

    College experiences can get you somewhere. Just ask singer-songwriter Corey Smith and the legions of loyal fans that have come to love and appreciate current college anthems such as “Twenty-One,” “The Wreckage” and “Drinkin’ Again.” His songs have filled countless venues and induced full-blown sing-alongs. Smith has become a household name among college students and all over the South. Smith was not always entertaining and traveling. In fact, his life took a different path before he decided to pursue music again.
    Smith graduated from the University of Georgia in 2001. Though he had performed throughout his college years, it was not the immediate path he took. After college, Smith taught Social Studies at North Gwinnett High School.
    “Teaching was a right decision because I knew I had made a difference. I still miss teaching around this time of the year especially since all the kids are going back to school,” Smith said. “I enjoy teaching history and philosophy. I mean, I could see myself going back to teach again someday. It was definitely something I enjoyed doing.”
    The demands of his domestic life and career soon followed. Smith wrote songs during this period as a therapeutic aid.
    “I started performing again. Part of it came from teaching. I started playing for students on Fridays and they really liked it,” Smith said. “Then I started playing a few times at coffee houses. It just kind of snow-balled from singing a couple times a month to eventually consistent bookings.”
    The success of his debut album “Undertones” and the popularity of his sophomore album, “In The Mood,” has garnered him recognition all over the Internet. Smith is currently ranked as the number one unsigned country artist on MySpace.com, and has sold over 385,000 downloads since May 2006.
    Smith, though grateful for success, is aware of its ugly side.
    “It’s very cool to travel, eat good food, and just performing up there,” Smith said. “But success doesn’t make your problems go away, it just makes it take a different direction. Sometimes, it’s the greatest thing in the world and other times I’m not so sure. It’s a struggle especially since I don’t get to see or spend that much time with my kids.”
    Since the past success of these two albums, Smith has had several opportunities to play at large and amazing venues such as the Classic Center and the House of Blues filling up thousands of seats. However, Smith still insists on playing at small venues such as Milledgeville and Statesboro.
    “Milledgeville is one of my favorite places to play, and I’m not just saying that because I’ll be playing there,” Smith joked. “Milledgeville and Statesboro are fun venues because it’s completely different. I’ve played in the House of Blues and other really nice, classy venues where you have these amazing dressing rooms and the place fills up with a couple thousand people, rock star stuff. But playing at smaller venues like Milledgeville is great because it’s kind of a tradition for me. The enthusiasm is just unparalleled.”
Amazingly, Smith has stayed grounded and states that he’s not in it to conquer Nashville.
    “I’m not in this business to get famous at all. I was content teaching, and the appeal of the radio isn’t really that big of a deal to me. The image that comes with fame, that’s all fake.”
    Fans need not worry though because Smith has just released his third album, “Hard-headed fool.” It still showcases the same acoustic prowess that Smith is so admired for, and his lyrics are just as loyal to what the fans first fell in love with. It has also matured a lot more from the previous two album showcasing his song-writing talent as well as producing.
    “It’s a lot more mature than my previous works where it’s about learning from your mistakes and growing up,” explained Smith. “It also showcases more of musical influences like southern rock, blues, and country.”
Smith has said that his performances and travels always bring about experiences and lessons. While he may no longer be giving out tests or lecturing students, the teacher is still glad to give advice especially to those who are trying to make it in the music industry.
    “This is going to sound kind of sad but if you don’t think you’ve got what it takes to make it then don’t do it," suggested Smith. "If you want to perform because you think you’re going to get famous, then you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. Go dig ditches. That’s a lot easier than this business. But if you find yourself coming back to the music and playing, then obviously you love it. There’s a deeper feeling to it than just getting famous and making money. You have to do it because you love doing it.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Aug 31 2007. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry