Jesusfreakhideout.com Music News, July 2012: MICHAEL W. SMITH EMBARKS ON FINAL LEG OF WORLD TOUR

MICHAEL W. SMITH EMBARKS ON FINAL LEG OF WORLD TOUR

A Busy Year for Smith Includes Daughter's Wedding; His Fourth "Michael W. Smith & Friends Cruise" Stops in Canada, South Africa, a USO Tour and a 2012 With Symphony Christmas Tour

NEWS SOURCE: Provident Music Group
July 2, 2012

(Nashville, Tenn.) July 2, 2012-GRAMMY® award-winning and multi-platinum-selling artist Michael W. Smith has traversed the globe in 2012, kicking off an international tour last January which visited countries including Brazil, Australia, England, Northern Ireland, Canada, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Switzerland and Latvia. Soon Smith will embark on a final leg, including shows in Canada, South Africa, a USO Tour and his traditional Symphony Christmas tour; but not before stopping off in Nashville for the wedding of his daughter Anna earlier this month.

Smith launched his world tour with five shows in Brazil from Jan.11-18 before heading back home for the "Wonder, Worship & Glory Tour," which comprised 19 domestic dates through late March. He then resumed his international travels with multiple appearances in Australia, including Easterfest, as well as Belfast, Northern Ireland and London, England as part of the "United Tour," also featuring Steven Curtis Chapman.

The month of May saw Smith in Canada for 11 concerts before taking off early June to Romania then Hungary, where he performed at the Franklin Graham Festival, Croatia, Switzerland, and Latvia, also a Franklin Graham event. Smith finally took a breather, but only for the wedding of his daughter Anna on June 15. The wedding, attended by 350 guests, took place in a small chapel about 20 miles south of Nashville in Franklin, Tenn. A reception followed at a nearby farm where Smith and attendees danced the night away.

Smith plans to head back out July 7-14 on the fourth 2012 "Michael W. Smith & Friends Cruise" to Canada and New England before venturing overseas again for his final aforementioned world tour stops. Visit: www.michaelwsmith.com for additional information and a complete list of tour dates.

About Michael W. Smith
Throughout his 29-year career as a recording artist, Michael W. Smith has amassed an impressive catalog of achievements. His 24 albums have garnered multiple honors including an American Music Award, three GRAMMY ® Awards (from 13 nominations), 44 GMA Dove Awards and 33 No. 1 radio hits. In addition, he holds 16 Gold, 7 Platinum and 2 Double-Platinum albums for career sales of 15 million. Most recently, Smith released GLORY, his second full-length instrumental album, on Nov. 21, 2011 and Decades of Worship, a collection of his most popular worship songs, Jan. 17, 2012.

Inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2009, Smith has scored film projects, written 12 books and been featured by media outlets including "Hannity," NBC's "Today," ABC's "Good Morning America," "NBC Nightly News," "Larry King Live," "FOX & Friends," The Associated Press, Billboard, USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Newsweek and more.

Constantly giving back to the community, one of Smith's current projects is Rocketown - a nightclub for teens in his hometown of Nashville, Tenn. - which serves as a safe place for young people to enjoy music and for artists to be discovered. He and wife of 30 years, Debbie, are the proud parents of five children.

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For more info on Michael W. Smith visit the JFH Artists Database.