The Convoluted Love Story of Connie Smith & Marty Stuart
Friday, March 14, 2025
“Make the Lord the center… and commit.” – Connie Smith
Connie Smith is a country music legend. She has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1965 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012. Nominated for 11 Grammy Awards, including eight nominations for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, Smith was named by Rolling Stone in its list of the 100 greatest country music artists of all time and CMT ranked her in the Top 10 of the 40 greatest women of country music.
A professing Christian, Smith’s meteoric rise to fame and fortune sometimes interfered with her faith, leading to three marriages and three divorces. She then publicly stated that she would never marry again and decided to retire so she could focus on raising her five children.
However, in 1997, Connie walked down the aisle for the fourth and final time, marrying her producer and fellow musician Marty Stuart. Actually, the two had met 26 years earlier when Smith was performing in Stuart’s hometown. Here is how Marty tells the story…
"I met Connie when I was 12 years old. She came to the Indian reservation in my hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi, to work at a fair and I told my mother that I was going to marry Connie Smith someday. Well, she hasn't changed a bit. She looked great then and she looks great now.”
I am sure that Connie Smith wouldn’t recommend getting married three times before finally getting it right and the same could be said for Marty Stuart, whose first marriage to Cindy Cash, Johnny Cash’s daughter, only lasted five years. However, they both have seemingly learned some hard lessons along the way about faith and commitment… and this year the two lovebirds will be celebrating their 28th wedding anniversary.
To God be the glory!
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (BSB)
“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten…” Joel 2:25 (ESV)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
