  connie smith (born constance june meador; august 14, 1941) is an american country music artist. active since 1964, smith is widely considered to be one of the genre's best female vocalists. she has earned 11 grammy award nominations, 20 top ten billboard country singles, and 31 charting albums, three of which have hit number one. on october 21, 2012, smith became the 12th solo female vocalist and 19th woman to be elected to the country music hall of fame. despite her success, smith is considered by some music critics to be one of the most underrated vocalists in country music history due to the decision not to pursue super stardom with the non-country general media market like such contemporaries as loretta lynn, dolly parton, and tammy wynette. artists such as parton,escott, born to sing, p. 1. george jones, and chely wright have cited smith as either one of the best vocalists in the music industry or their favorite female artist. == early life == constance june meador was born in elkhart, indiana, 
1941_births American_Christians American_composers American_country_singer-songwriters American_female_singers American_gospel_singers Columbia_Records_artists Country_Music_Hall_of_Fame_inductees Epic_Records_artists Grand_Ole_Opry_members Living_people Members_of_the_Country_Music_Association Monument_Records_artists Musicians_from_Cincinnati,_Ohio Musicians_from_Indiana Musicians_from_Ohio Nelson_High_School_(Ontario)_alumni People_from_Elkhart,_Indiana RCA_Records_Nashville_artists Warner_Bros._Records_artists