Connie Smith was the first solo female country artist to have a number one hit for eight weeks straight—a record not broken until Taylor Swift in 2015. She joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1971. Dolly Parton once said, “There are only three great singers: Connie Smith, Barbra Streisand, and Linda Ronstadt.”

Born Constance June Meador on August 14, 1941, in Indiana, she grew up in Summers County. While living in Ohio in 1963, she won a talent contest and was discovered by country star "Whispering Bill" Anderson. He helped her move to Nashville and get a recording deal. Her first song, “Once a Day,” became a big hit in 1964 and stayed at number one for two months. She later had many other popular songs, such as “Cincinnati, Ohio” and “Just One Time.”

She stayed true to her traditional country style even when others changed to pop sounds. In 1968, she became a born-again Christian and focused more on gospel music. She slowed down her career in the 1980s to raise her family. In 1997, she married country singer Marty Stuart and later returned to music, performing on his TV show and recording new songs. Over the years, she has made 40 albums and appeared in movies like Maximum Overdrive.

Connie Smith was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2011.