Lenny Smith | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Leonard Earl Smith Jr. |
| Born | August 29, 1942 South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States |
| Genres | Gospel Music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1970-Present |
| Labels | Great Comfort Records |
| Website | www |
Leonard Earl Smith Jr. (Lenny Smith) (August 29, 1942– Present) is an American gospel singer and songwriter born at The Naval Hospital in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Smith is best known for his worship song, "Our God Reigns," which was written in 1974 and is now embraced as a modern classic by many Christians. "Our God Reigns" has been performed and recorded by numerous artists including David Garratt , Evie Tornquist and Pelle Karlsson, John Michael Talbot, Phil Driscoll, Dino, PTL Club, Abiding Praise-Myrrh, Jeanne Johnson, Gaithers, Marilla, Dana, and New Life Worship Band.
Biography edit
Leonard Smith Jr. was born to Leonard Earl Smith Sr., a U.S. Marine, and Marie Amelda McConnell, his Catholic wife in 1942. He had two sisters Mary Ellen and Jeanne. The family called him Butch growing up to distiguish him from his father who was called Len or Leonard. When he was twelve, a childhood friend also called Butch decided that he would now be called "Len."
Leonard Earl Smith Sr. was a career military man, so the family moved around the country. When Lenny was three, they lived in a milatary base in Virgina. At five years old in 1947, he lived on a military base in Guam. In 1948, they moved to Barstow, California. When Lenny was in third grade, the family moved to South Jersey and resided there until 7th grade. In 7th grade the family moved back to California and lived in Oceanside for the next year. In 8th grade, the family once more moved back to South Jersey and this is where Lenny graduated from Woodbury High School and decided to go into the seminary in 1960.
"I felt compelled by God to do it. I didn't really want to do it, but I felt compelled. And when I left, I felt compelled. It was the same voice."
In 1960, Lenny went to Jordan Seminary in Menominee, MI for two years. It was here that he fell in love with studying Latin, Theology, Philosophy, and English Literature. After that, he went to Mount St.Paul's in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He was there for one year. In 1964, Lenny entered Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, MA and was there for four years. In 1965, Lenny earned his BA in Philosophy.
In 1965 at Mount St. Mary's, Lenny started putting scriptures to song.
He left the seminary in 1968 and was a guidance counselor for the freshman class at Pope Paul VI. He was not asked to return after that year. Then he taught religion at Gloucester Catholic High School for one year. He taught Latin at Cinnaminson High School in NJ. He was fired from this job for being too verbal about Christianity in a public school. Then he returned to Gloucester Catholic High School teaching religion again. He was not asked to return.
In 1969, he met his wife Marian Wehrle, who was also a school teacher, and they married in 1970. During the next couple years they both became involved in the Catholic Charismatic Movement. They both had one foot in the Catholic door and one foot in the Protestant door at this time;they were attending John Poole's church, The Gospel Temple in Center City, PA.
After a three month honeymoon, Marian went back to teaching, but Lenny did not have a job. He started painting houses to earn some income. In 1971, he got another job teaching religion at Bishop Eustace Prep in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey. He lasted at this job until Christmas. He never taught in a formal setting again.
He started painting houses again, learned how to wallpaper, then he learned frame work from working for different builders. For the rest of his adult work life, he remodeled and build new homes until 1964 when he was injured. Since 1964 he has devoted his energy to New Jerusalem Music (his publishing company) and Great Comfort Records (his record label).
He wrote "Our God Reigns" in 1974 when he was out of work and mildly depressed. He read the bible during this time every day for two hours. He came across Isaiah 52:7 and when he read it, the message he received was, "Lenny, everything is going to work out fine for you." He picked up his guitar and wrote the first verse and chorus in five minutes.
Lenny and Marian started having children in 1972. Marian decided to leave her teaching job and be a homemaker to their five children. Lenny's oldest son, Daniel Smith, went on to form the Indie pop band Danielson with the rest of his four siblings: Rachel, Megan, David and Andrew.
Lenny led worship at various churches through his life: Assemby of God in Paulsboro, New Jersey, Lambs Road Assembly of God in Sewell, New Jersey, and Calvary Chapel in Vineland, New Jersey. In between churches, the Smith family would stay home and have services there for months at a time. In 1995, the family started attending Living Waters in Hurfville, New Jersey with Pastor Dan Fessler, and continue going there to this day; Lenny leads worship on Thursday nights.
Today, Lenny continues to write and record albums. He runs New Jerusalem Music Publishing Company representing many artists including Sufjan Stevens, Half-Japanese, and Danielson. He also runs a record label, Great Comfort Records, with his wife Marian, son Daniel Smith and daughter-in-law Elin Smith. They have released albums from indie christian artists Glen Galaxy, Bifrost Arts, Frog in the Reeds, Rachel, and Lenny Smith.
Music career edit
Smith has a unique talent as a performer and a songwriter. His song-writing reveals his roots in 60s folk songs. His music has been described as "simple and innocent," "pure, hopeful, real, unfettered," and "songs of reconciliation and healing." He writes his songs using a 1969 Gibson Guitar.
The first song Lenny wrote in 1965 is entiled, "The New Jerusalem." This title later became the name of his publishing company, "New Jerusalem Music," which he started in 1977 so that he could administrate copywrite to his own songs.
He first started playing guitar at Jordan Seminary in 1960. He started with a baritone ukulele that he borrowed from a friend; he learned by playing through a pile of rock-n-roll sheet music from the 50's and 60's. He bought his 1969 Jumbo Gibson Guitar........????????????
In 1962, Lenny and two other seminarians formed a trio and played folk songs together. By the time he got to Mount St. Mary's he joined a group of men who led chapel with guitars, which was unusual at this time. They also loved to ride the bus to and from Washington, DC, sit in the back of the bus, and sing freedom songs together like Kumbaya.
Lenny wrote "Our God Reigns" in 1974 when he was out of work and mildly depressed. He read the bible during this time every day for two hours. He came across Isaiah 52:7 and when he read it, the message he received was, "Lenny, everything is going to work out fine for you." He picked up his guitar and wrote the first verse and chorus in five minutes.
A few weeks later, Lenny introduced the song to his pastor, John Poole, who loved it. A visiting evangelist, Bob Mumford, came in 1976, learned the song and took it everywhere he went around the country. In 1977, Bob Mumford was the speaker at the Charismatic Conference in Kansas City, Missouri held at Arrowhead Stadium. He taught "Our God Reigns" at this conference where 30,000 people took it home with them. Maria Von Trapp was in attendance.
"Our God Reigns" circulated around the world and in 1976 a man from Australia contacted Lenny wanting to write additional verses for the song. Lenny said no. There was a pastor in England who had written additional verses to "Our God Reigns" and when Lenny contacted him to tell him it was illegal, the pastor became irate and circulated them throughout England anyway. This motivated Lenny to write his own additional verses, which he finished by 1978. After he completed the verses, Christian publishing companies considered the song as a hymn and started putting it in hymnals.
In 1977, Our God Reigns was first recorded by David Garratt
Evie Tornquist, a christian singer, covered "Our God Reigns" on her album "Teach Us Your Way"[1] in 1980. John Michael Talbot also covered "Our God Reigns"[2] on his album, "Be Exalted,"[3] in 2008. Phil Driscoll used "Our God Reigns"[4] on his album, "I Exalt Thee,"[5] in 1983 which scored a Dove Award for Instrumental Album of the Year as well as Grammy nomination in the Best Gospel/Pop Album category.[6]
Lenny received a letter from a priest that worked at the Vatican letting him know that Pope John Paul II said he liked "Our God Reigns." Dana, told Lenny that, "It was his (the Pope's) favorite contemporary song in English." Over the next few years when the Pope had a large conference, Lenny was asked if they could use the song for the conference. It was also used as a processional as the Pope would enter a city.
The Gaithers, a southern gospel group, recorded "Our God Reigns" for their album, "Favorite Hymns from the Homecoming Friends"[7] in 1999.
In 2009, The Welcome Wagon along with Sufjan Stevens from Asthmatic Kitty covered Lenny's song, "But For You Who Fear My Name" on their album, "Welcome to the Welcome Wagon."
In 2011, New Life Worship,[8] released an album called, "You Hold It All" [9] and they wrote a song called "God Be Praised/Our God Reigns." They combined the original "Our God Reigns" chorus with a new song and this has brought "Our God Reigns" back in front of the younger generation.
"Our God Reigns" exists in 15 different languages and is on 50 different albums, hymnals, and songbooks.
After years of singing and songwriting, Lenny recorded his first album, "Deep Calls To Deep" in 2000 in his son Daniel Smith's studio. "Our God Reigns" is on the album. Lenny's second album, "Who Was And Is And Is To Come" was also recorded with Daniel Smith in the Sounds Familyre Studio and released in 2013. His third album is currently in production.
Discography edit
Further reading edit
- Christianson, Phil. Our God Reigns (Kregel Publications, September 2000)
- Our God Reigns: A Worship Song Story (Songfacts 2015)
- God Still Reigns: Veteran worship man Lenny Smith records new album
- Worship The Rock: Artist Spotlight - Lenny Smith
- The Danielson Famile Has a Dad and His Name is Lenny
- All Thy Waves and Breakers: Lenny Smith's "Deep Calls to Deep"
- Hymn #98: Our God Reigns
- The Welcome Wageon Amateur Hour Ethno-Musicology 101: "But For You Who Fear My Name" (by Sufjan Stevens 2009)
References edit
External links edit