Comments on: 100 Greatest Women, #70: Sammi Smith

By: Ellie

Ellie — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 04:21:13 +0000

This artilce achieved exactly what I wanted it to achieve.

By: Paul W Dennis

Paul W Dennis — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:02:33 +0000

One more tidbit – the liner notes for the HELP ME MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT album were written by Eddie Rabbit , then known, if at all, as the songwriter of “Kentucky Rain”

It’s a good synopsis of who Sammi was – here’s a brief excerpt:

“that girl…
standing out in the pouring rain …
just lookin’ up … just cuz
that girl …
laughing at the worst joke in the world …
just cuz …. it’s the worst joke
that girl…
whose warm, wide eyes say …
‘i love you’ ….. ‘ be my friend’ …

sammi ….. i am …..

eddie rabbitt ….. 1970
well-known songwriter “

By: Paul W Dennis

Paul W Dennis — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 12:41:02 +0000

I discovered Sammi Smith during her Columbia days purchasing several of her 45s and continued to track her career thereafter. While “Help Me Make It Through The Night” was her biggest hit, I don’t necessarily regard it as her best recording , and I think her best albums came after her run as a hitmaker. None of them have made their way to CD but they can still be found in used record stores (they will usually go for $20-$25)

Random tidbits:

Ms Smith loosely attached to the “Outlaw Movement” of the 1970′s. Waylon Jennings tagged her “Girl Hero” and she used that as the title of one her later albums on Cyclone/GRT

When Johnny Darrell passed away in 1997 (complications of diabetes), she was the contact person for information and fundraising to take care of Johnny’s final expenses and money for his family

I never got to see her perform live, but I just missed . In November 2004 she was booked to appear at the Florida Sunshine Opry in Eustis, FL in January 2005. In late December the gig was cancelled (for unexplained helath reasons) and she passed away in February 2005.