Artists:Jan Smith

Alvin

Davey

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1972, Jan Smith grew up listening to country music legends: Merle Haggard, George Jones, and Loretta Lynn, among others. She was later inspired by singers such as Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerlad and songwriters such as Carole King, Townes Van Zant. Contemporary artists Tracy Chapman, Michelle Shocked, and Gillian Welch were key models of successful singers performing their own work.

In 1999, Smith attended a songwriting workshop led by Texas-bred artist Jimmie Dale Gilmore. The experience proved to be a watershed in her development as a writer, and Gilmore himself recognized her talent. After the workshop, at a show in upstate New York, Gilmore called Smith to the stage to perform one of her roots originals: a slow, hard-country tune called “Dime on the Floor.”

Since moving to the Charlottesville, Virginia, area in 2000, Smith has been strongly influenced by the region’s rich bluegrass tradition. She has been booked at many of the state's most prestigious events and venues, including southwest Virginia’s FloydFest. Regional shows have propelled more extensive touring, and national stops have included Club Passim in Boston, The Living Room in New York City, The Evening Muse in Charlotte, Eddie's Attic in Atlanta, Uncommon Grounds in Chicago, and The Fiddling Cricket series in San Jose. In July of 2005, Smith completed a successful two-week tour of the United Kingdom.