Billy Smiley on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Billy Smiley. Check out our conversation below.

Billy, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Producing and being involved in the lives of artists who still want to make great music and art.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Billy Smiley is a musician, songwriter, and producer. He first entered the music world playing acoustic guitar, and trumpet with the Gaither Vocal Band. That experience opened the door to his future career not only as a performer but also as a producer, eventually working on the first several Gaither Vocal Band albums.

In 1982 Smiley co-founded the pioneering Christian rock band WhiteHeart, serving as guitarist, vocalist, and one of the primary songwriters throughout the band’s run. WhiteHeart would go on to sell more than 3 million albums, receive multiple Grammy nominations, and rack up 23 Dove Award nominations, becoming one of the most enduring and influential bands in Christian rock. Smiley helped shape some of WhiteHeart’s biggest hits, including Fly Eagle Fly, Desert Rose, Independence Day, Unchain, Powerhouse, Sing Your Freedom, and The River Will Flow.
Alongside his work with WhiteHeart, Smiley built a reputation as one of Christian music’s most versatile producers. He has produced more than 150 albums and over 30 No. 1 songs, working with artists such as Geoff Moore, Margaret Becker, Johnny Cash, Gaither Vocal Band, John Schlitt, Newsboys, & BeBe & CeCe Winans. His songwriting and production credits earned him five Grammy nominations and numerous Dove Award honors, as well as recognition as Christian music’s Songwriter of the Year in 1988.

In recent years Smiley has continued to perform and record as part of The Union of Sinners and Saints, a super-group that unites the legacies of WhiteHeart and Petra. The group also includes John Schlitt and Jason Fowler and other members of WhiteHeart. The band performs classics from both catalogs alongside new material, carrying forward the spirit of Christian rock’s formative years. Smiley is also a part of the emerging super-group, The River Cryers with Dan Haseltine (Jars of Clay), Ron Hembry (Imperials) , Steve Hildalong (The Choir), and Matt Nelson (The Chosen). Smiley has also been associated with other collaborative projects, including independent artist development through his Music City Collective initiative.

Smiley places emphasis on helping emerging artists through his venture Music City Collective, which not only helps artists produce and distribute music that reflects their faith across various styles (country, rock, worship, americana, pop, R&B) but also collaborates with independent labels and provides a forum for legacy artists to “pay it forward” to the next generation.

Billy Smiley holds degrees in music theory and composition and endures as a respected figure in Christian music — as a performer, songwriter, producer, and mentor. His legacy spans decades of groundbreaking work with WhiteHeart, landmark productions for some of the biggest names in Christian music, and an ongoing commitment to raising up new generations of artists to share faith through music with excellence in craft and authenticity of message.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Traveling and singing fro Australia to Sweden to Germany to everywhere in the US and Canada, and to see how music affects peoples lives..

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Stay with it and be thankful for the gifts you have!

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes…

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
That he loved people

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