Michael W. Smith Shares His Testimony, Music Journey, and Friendship With Billy Graham

Michael W. Smith has been a leading voice in Christian music for decades, but before the sold-out concerts and award-winning songs, there was a young boy who committed his life to Christ, a new musician trying to find his place, and a prodigal who discovered his way back to the Lord after nearly overdosing.

In our conversation, Michael shares his testimony, reflects on the early days of his music career, and talks about the people God used to shape his life and ministry. He also offers a rare glimpse into his real friendship with Billy Graham, sharing personal memories from their years together.

Find highlighted excerpts from our conversation below.

Coming to Faith at Age 10

Greg Laurie: At what age were you when you made a commitment to Christ, where you understood what you were doing? Or was it consistent back to your youth? 

Michael W. Smith: No, I knew what I was doing when I was 10. 

Greg Laurie: Wow. 

Michael W. Smith: It was an epiphany. I mean, it was like, it was like I was with my buddies on the back pew. Heard the message over and over. 

And all of a sudden, the light bulb went off. And I remember going, “Oh my gosh, he really is who he said he was.”  And I got up and walked down the aisle. And all my buddies were going, “What’s he doing? Dude, what are you doing?” 

 And it was real. And then 15, that was only the second time I walked down the aisle, and I told Stan Franklin, who was my pastor, who baptized me, I said, “I think God’s called me into music.” And he laid hands on me and prayed for me.  

And then I lost my way at 17. I thought I could play with the fire and, and not get burned from ’75 to ’79. I almost died from a drug overdose. I’ve written all books about it.

Prodigal Years

Greg Laurie:  …What was it that pulled you away from your faith? Or was there something that was drawing you? I know it involved drugs. 

Michael W. Smith: …The whole thing began at 13, and the Jesus movement found its way into Kanawha, West Virginia  of all places. And so, but all, while I was 13, 14, 15- 

All my buddies were smoking pot and drinking beer. So all my friends were college age. And we would all meet almost every single night, having Bible studies and playing Jesus music in people’s living rooms. And I was on fire. I wore this big wooden cross. I was a Jesus freak. And then all those people went off to college and got married, and I didn’t have a support team. I started kind of hanging out with the wrong people.

Maybe I can do a little bit of that. Maybe I can play with the fire. And I got deceived. This is my favorite name for the devil. I mean, he’s the great deceiver. And I think he was trying to kill me. 

He sucked me in, and then all of a sudden, in that fourth year of that prodigal period, when I almost lost my life from a crazy drug overdose, I knew that there was a call on my life and the devil was trying to take me out.

So I’m here, I believe with every fiber of my being, because of my mom and dad, who never gave up on me and prayed for me every single day.

Greg Laurie: Did they know you were doing this?

Michael W. Smith: Yeah, probably not to the extent.  Probably not the deep stuff, but they knew I was in trouble, and they never kicked me out of the house.

 They never came down on me. They just kept loving me. 

Returning to Faith After Nearly Overdosing

Greg Laurie: So what was the drug that you almost overdosed on?

Michael W. Smith: It was THC. It was some tranquilizer, and I thought it was cocaine, and it was something else. My blood was rushing out the sides of my nose, and the guys were trying to clean me up. For two days… my brain was fried. And that’s when I knew. That’s when I began to pray, ‘God, do whatever You have to do to get my attention, because I think You’ve got a call on my life, and I’m supposed to live and bring the Kingdom down to earth.’

Long story short, I hit rock bottom. November 1979. I’d lost my joy. I got depressed. I’d really never been depressed in my life.

And I hit rock bottom, and I convulsed and twisted, and I was probably having a nervous breakdown on my linoleum floor in that apartment in Nashville. For three and a half hours, from midnight till 3:30 in the morning … I was so worn out, and I felt beyond a shadow of a doubt that Abba was laying on the floor with me, with His arm around me  saying, “It’s gonna be okay.” And I haven’t been the same since that day. 

Building a Career in Christian Music

Greg Laurie: …So you got into music. You loved Mariner, the record. I think you started out as a session player, right?

Michael W. Smith: Mm-hmm.

Greg Laurie: But you weren’t really what we would call an artist yet. You were writing songs, though.

Michael W. Smith: I was writing songs. That’s sort of how I got started. I wrote a song for Truth, and then I wrote a song for Sandi Patty, which is How Majestic Is Your Name. Then I met a girl named Amy Grant and started writing songs for her Age to Age record.

Greg Laurie: So you were her keyboard player.

Michael W. Smith: Mm-hmm.

Greg Laurie: And did she sort of launch you into music?

Michael W. Smith: I would say I wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for her.

Helping Other Artists 

Greg Laurie: And have you been able to do that for any other artists as you’ve been successful, people you’ve discovered?

Michael W. Smith: Well, I have, but I don’t want to brag about that..

Greg Laurie: Tell me some of them.

Michael W. Smith: Well, Jars of Clay. Matt Maher was on the road with me. Jordan Smith from American Idol was willing to do a little on the Christmas tour. Gosh, I could go on and on.

Beginning His Event Work With Billy Graham

Greg Laurie: …One of the people you worked with, early on or maybe later in your career, was Billy Graham.

Michael W. Smith: Yeah.

Greg Laurie: I was actually there at that time. I’d been on his board for probably 30 years, and I was helping him at that point because Billy was in his later years and I was just starting our crusade ministry. He said, “I want you to help me with my messages and make them more contemporary.”

So I was going through his messages and giving him fresher illustrations. I remember one time, and this kind of marks where it was in time, I found a lyric from Smashing Pumpkins called Rat in a Cage. I don’t remember the lyrics, but it was something to the effect of, “I’m just a rat in a cage…” 

So I put it in there, and I put a little note: “Billy, Smashing Pumpkins is the name of a band.” I didn’t want him to think it was literally someone smashing pumpkins. It was in Minneapolis when he delivered that line. It was one of the greatest moments of my life… Anything I could do to help Billy. We all loved him.

But I know he decided he wanted to reach younger people. This was a conflict on the board.

I was on the board at the time. And there were board members that were adamantly against it. I would say, “No, you guys gotta do this.”  This is the best thing. And it was you-

Michael W. Smith: Cleveland Stadium, 1994.

Greg Laurie:  Did you guys ever do an event, it seems like, oh, where was it, Georgia? Did you do one in Georgia as well?

Michael W. Smith: I’m trying to think, because I know we did Minneapolis. Cleveland was the beginning of many.

Greg Laurie: So every Billy Graham crusade from that point on, Saturday night was youth night.

And so I did probably 10, 11, 12, 13. Then I phased out. I got a little older, and they pulled in some younger bands to do it. 

But that night, that’s a top five for me, of anything in my life, was that night in October.

Greg Laurie: He would do a particular song before he would come out and speak, wouldn’t he?

Michael W. Smith: Yeah, and I’m trying to remember what that song was. I should know what that song was. I think I might have introduced him that night.

Greg Laurie: Was it Find Your Way…? You had a song about finding your way home or something.

Michael W. Smith: I’ll Lead You Home.

Greg Laurie:  …And then the funny thing is I remember, like, you guys would be out and do your thing, and then Billy would come out. What I thought was so cool is that Billy didn’t dress in a contemporary way. He just dressed like Billy, which was a suit.

And he came out, and he probably got the biggest applause of the night- 

Michael W. Smith:  Oh, he did. Absolutely

Greg Laurie: ‘Cause he was his authentic self. 

… And you got to know him, too, didn’t you? That’s a privilege, you know.

Personal Moments with Billy Graham

Michael W. Smith: Ugh. The stories of just…

Greg Laurie: Tell me a couple.

Michael W. Smith: Well, nothing like Billy laying hands on you and praying for you. I would go visit him.

Greg Laurie: In his home?

Michael W. Smith: In his home. Montreat. I would play that out-of-tune piano and love on him and Ruth, when Ruth was still alive. Then Ruth passed, and it was Billy, and I just kept going back. Maybe a couple times a year, sometimes three.

And we would just talk. Then he got weak, and all of a sudden he was in a wheelchair. So…

But he always prayed for me.

So then I started setting up the piano beside his wheelchair and the bed. I’d bring an electric piano in and play all his favorite hymns.

The last two times, he couldn’t pray for me… I had to pray for him… You’re sitting there going, “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” But I know he could hear me. I could hear him trying to hum because we put the headphones on him so he could hear me a little better.

You know what’s funny? I always kind of feel bad because I always called him Billy. But out of respect, I think he’s probably the one who said, “Just call me Billy.”

Greg Laurie: He wouldn’t have you call him Dr. Graham. That’s what all of his team called him. He said, “Call me Billy.” … It seems too personal, but he did want you to just call him Billy.

Michael W. Smith: He did. I think we kind of had a lot of things in common on some level. He’s got five kids. I’ve got five kids. He traveled. I traveled. Keeping the family together. We would talk a lot about our kids.

And then we’d talk about a lot of stuff. Sometimes we’d talk about, very few times, about politics. Just world affairs, what was going on in the world. But he would always bring it back to just going Jesus is the only answer. 

And we would edify each other. He would really edify me.

When I would walk out of there, I’d feel like I was 10 feet tall.

Greg Laurie: I feel he’s the most godly man I ever met.

I’ve met a lot of godly men, as you have, and women. 

…As he got older, he just became sweeter. To me it was like as close I think you could get on earth to sitting down with Jesus and having a conversation. He just reflected Christ.

I remember one time in his home. Ruth was very ill at this point, and Dennis Agajanian came over. Billy asked him to play.

So Dennis played Handel’s Messiah. As he was playing, Billy was just looking at Ruth, and Ruth, even though she was very ill, was almost glowing. I thought, “Wow, there’s a story here. What’s this all about?”

At the end of the song, Billy leaned over to Ruth and said, “That’s a song they played on our first date.”  ’Cause he took her to see Handel’s Messiah…

Hear more of this conversation on The Greg Laurie Show.