After years in the music business, an alter ego called Earl Dibbles Jr. and 11 studio albums to his name, the singer has decided that he will hang up his artist hat and pursue a new career in ministry.
Smith will conclude his music career with his previously-announced Like a River Tour, a trek that kicks off this month and is named for the 3-year-old son he lost in a drowning accident in 2019. After River’s death, the singer and his wife Amber threw themselves into the work of transforming their tragedy into purpose, raising awareness on water safety for parents everywhere
Smith says he’s currently working towards a master’s degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, but is quick to stress that his overall persona and online presence won’t be all that much different than it is now. In fact, he’s opening his life up even more to fans — Smith is working on a memoir about the difficult process of healing in the wake of his young son’s death.
“I remember turning in the manuscript for the first time, and I called my wife Amber, and I said, ‘Well, I’m about to send this manuscript out. There’s no stopping it now.’ Like, you can’t put the toothpaste back into the tube,” he recounts to People. “There’s things in here that are extremely vulnerable. It’s very personal. But the overwhelming feeling was that if my story could help others, then it’s worth it, then it matters.”
Smith also says that his relationship with his faith grew significantly after River’s death, saying that “as I was reading the Bible, I was coming across things with a new heart and eyes opened.” Specifically, he mentions one passage, which quotes Jesus as saying “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?'”
nashvilleartistweekly.com 