Michael W. Smith cautions against celebrity culture in Christian music: ‘We’ve got to be so careful’
A legendary singer who helped popularize contemporary Christian music in the 1980s and has remained a mainstay ever since says he worries about the rise of celebrity culture within the industry and…
A legendary singer who helped popularize contemporary Christian music in the 1980s and has remained a mainstay ever since says he worries about the rise of celebrity culture within the industry and wants artists to remember that the spotlight belongs on Jesus, not themselves.
Michael W. Smith is a three-time Grammy winner whose singing and songwriting career spans more than four decades, with dozens of No. 1 songs and millions of albums sold. Smith was featured in the 2021 documentary The Jesus Music, which highlighted the prominent role he played in the rise and growth of contemporary Christian music.
“I have a little issue sometimes with celebrities, and I just think we’ve got to be so careful,” Smith told Heartlander News, not singling out any artist for criticism but instead pointing to Forrest Frank as someone who has impressed him.
“Gosh, we’ve just got to be careful.”
Smith stirred an online debate over celebrity culture in Christian music in mid-August when he told The Christian Post: “We can all say, ‘Well, oh, we’re doing it all for Him.’ But you watch social media, and it’s just a little me-focused.”
Smith returned to the issue during an interview with Heartlander News, saying rapid success can be difficult for artists to navigate.
“I always worry about people who, when the success goes,” he said while making a whooshing noise.
“When it goes that fast … if you’re not careful, it can be too much for you.”
Smith attended a Frank concert this summer, meeting him face to face before the show and witnessing firsthand the enthusiasm of his young fans. Smith said he was moved by Frank’s on-stage sincerity and the thousands of tweens and teens who knew every word of every song.
“I think he’s got a pure heart,” Smith said. “And I think his number one goal – down inside his heart, he just wants to see kids get saved. That’s a lot to congratulate somebody for. He’s got a good team around him – pastors and the whole deal.
“If I can say this in the purest way, I think it’s exciting for the genre. Because Christian music, gospel music – hey, what are we doing this thing for? If we’re doing it for all the right reasons, we want to see a move of God, we want to see people get saved, we want to see people get healed, and just see revival come.
“And [we need to] say to ourselves every day as artists on that stage: ‘It’s not about us. This is not about us.’”
Smith is involved in two faith-based films this season: House of Worship, a film featuring 25 worship artists performing and reflecting on songs that have shaped the modern church, and Daniel and the Fiery Furnace, a biblical drama starring Mena Massoud (Aladdin) that opens in theaters Sept. 18. Smith is an executive producer on both projects.
(Image credit: Michaelwsmith.com)
