Country Star Granger Smith Leaves Music For Jesus: 'I'm Just So Excited'

Country singer Granger Smith stunned fans when he announced he would be retiring from music to pursue ministry, with the musician telling CBN Digital how he plans to serve the Lord. "I'm just so excited about it," he said. "I have so much joy just even thinking about it." Smith said he's already begun speaking before audiences about his Christian faith. While he once traversed the nation and world sharing his music, he now plans to travel with a very different message. "I'm used to air travel, I'm used to hotels," he said. "But I have a different message to give, and it's a life-giving message. It's one beggar — me — telling another beggar where I found bread." Smith said he wants to share his journey of faith, explaining how he was once hurting and in a "really bad place," but how he found hope in Jesus. "I don't know what the future looks like five years down the road, ten years down the road," Smith said. "But, right now, immediately, it's writing books, it's taking speaking engagements, Lord-willing, when the right ones come around, it's attending seminary, and it's going to church on Sunday mornings with my family, and sitting under teachings of my pastor." Smith also discussed his recent memoir, "Like a River: Finding the Faith and Strength to Move Forward after Loss and Heartache," a book chronicling how he handled grief and sorrow and found faith. Smith's family made headlines in 2019 when the singer's 3-year-old son, River, died in a drowning accident. It's a topic at the heart of his book. Watch Smith discuss his plans, his son, and how he found faith. -- Welcome to "The Newsmakers Podcast," a show where we go behind the headlines each day to bring you interviews with pastors, entertainers, politicians, and other notable figures. Based on the "Newsmakers" show on the CBN News Channel, this daily podcast featuring CBN's Billy Hallowell provides full interviews with one newsworthy person every weekday.