EASTON, Pa. — A contemporary Christian singer and songwriter who has had more than a dozen gold and platinum albums and 20 songs that topped the Gospel charts will perform a Christmastime show at Easton's State Theatre, it was announced Tuesday.
Michael W. Smith, who has won three Grammy Awards and 45 Dove Awards and has been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21.
Joining Smith will be Riley Clemmons, best known for her 2019 gold hit "Fighting for Me."
Tickets, at $52-$72, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, July 19, at the State Theatre website.
“Christmas is always my favorite time of year. It’s a time that families are intentional about coming together and celebrating the reason for the season."Michael W. Smith, in a release
The show will be part of Smith's Every Christmas Tour, which will cover 26 shows from Nov. 15-Dec. 21, according to a release from the State Theatre.
The release shows it will be Smith's only Pennsylvania show of the tour.
“Christmas is always my favorite time of year," Smith said in a release. "It’s a time that families are intentional about coming together and celebrating the reason for the season.
"I’m honored that so many people consider our tour dates part of their Christmas traditions. I cannot wait to share these songs and some special surprises as we go across the entire country.”
Top in Christian, Christmas music
In Contemporary Christian music, Smith is virtually without peer. He has sold nearly 20 million copies of his 38 albums, and even crossed over to mainstream success with the 1990 hits “Place in This World,” which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard singles, and “I Will Be Here for You,” which topped the Adult Contemporary chart.
He has recorded more Top 10 albums on Billboard’s Christian chart (31) than any other artist, and his 16 No. 1 albums on the chart are second only to Amy Grant in a 41-year career.
He released his debut album, "Michael W. Smith Project," in 1983 and saw it sell gold.
From 1988-2006, every one of the eight albums of new material he released hit No. 1 on the Contemporary Christian chart. Three of those sold platinum and four sold gold.
Also during that time, two compilation albums and two live albums also hit No. 1 on the Christian chart, and three of those sold gold.
Smith, 66, is still at it. In March, he released a live album, "Worthy is the Lamb."
He has particularly had success with Christmas albums, releasing four, starting with 1989's "Christmas," which also sold gold. His most recent was 2014's "The Spirit of Christmas," which topped Billboard's overall Holiday chart.
Clemmons has more than 500 million global streams and 105 million YouTube video views. Her 2018 self-titled album debut album debuted at No. 13 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart.
