Country and Christian music singer Margo Smith was born Betty Lou Miller on April 9, 1939. Best known for several country music hits in the 1970s, she made a transition to Christian music artist in the 1990s. Her first single, “I’m a Lady,” was released in 1971 and was featured on the album of the same name. After several unsuccessful singles in 1972 and 1973, she finally achieved a Top 10 country hit in 1975 with “There I Said It” (number 8) which was taken from the album Margo Smith. Her next Top Ten hit, “Save Your Kisses For Me” (number 10) was lifted from the 1976 album Songbird. “Take My Breath Away” (from the album Happiness) charted at number 7 and was followed by two chart topping number 1s in 1978: “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You” and “It Only Hurts for a Little While” (both taken from the album Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You). Several more Top 10 hits followed – including “Little Things Mean a Lot” (1978), “Still a Woman” (1979), and “I Give My Heart To You” (1979) – but after she adapted a sexier image, the big hits dried up in the 1980s. In the early 1990s, she began recording a series of Christian albums including Just the Beginning (1991) and Wishes (1992), both with her daughter Holly, plus God’s Bigger Than Wall Street (1992), and Nothing to Lose (2005). Her later years were laced with near-tragedies including a head-on car collision, and several illnesses. Margo Smith died on January 23, 2024, two days after suffering a stroke. She was 84 years old.
