Payton Smith

Payton Smith (born January 26, 2000) is an American singer-songwriter.

Early life The eldest of four boys, Payton Smith was born in Beaumont, Texas and raised in Houma, Louisiana. He cites growing up so close to New Orleans and its music scene and his mother's love of 90s country music as key influences on his songwriting style. With an intrinsic passion for music, Smith describes being 5 years old and watching Keith Urban' s performance on the CMA Awards as being the moment he knew he wanted to be a performer with his own unique style of country music. At the age of 10, he received his first guitar from his father, and over the next four years, Smith taught himself to play and began to write his own songs. Cannon instantly saw the potential in Smith, and Smith's family soon relocated to Nashville where he pursued his dream while finishing high school.

Shortly after signing with Eclipse, he was invited to play at the BMI stage at Hard Rock Cafe at CMA Fest. The performance caught the attention of Big Machine Label Group CEO, Scott Borchetta, who was walking by but was struck by Smith's talent and "stopped in his tracks" to watch the set." Borchetta requested that Smith send him a few demos, and was so impressed by them that he offered Smith a record deal. On March 9, 2020, his single "Like I Knew You Would" was released to country radio.

In January 2020, CMT's annual Listen Up campaign selected Smith as one of 17 promising new artists to watch.

At 20, Smith has shared the stage with acts such as Brad Paisley, Florida Georgia Line and Lady Antebellum. He made his Grand Ole Opry debut on February 23, 2020.

Until restrictions on public gatherings were put in place due to COVID-19, Smith was slated to join Scotty McCreery on Chris Young's 2020 Town Ain't Big Enough tour. Smith has been sheltering-in-place in Nashville, writing new music and participating in various live-streams.

Artistry Smith's goal is to create a unique brand of country music that draws from a multitude of styles from 90s country to classic rock to the music scene of New Orleans. Smith has expressed the belief that making a human connection through music transcends genre. Drawing from his own life experience and blending honesty with a sense of humor he describes as "quirky", 2020

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