Tammy Smith empowers others to stand up for themselves, put God first, and follow their dreams. She talked with me about her heartbreaking experience with domestic abuse, putting God and her children first through it all, and coming out on the other side pursuing her passion for country music. She is thankful for every day and isn’t slowing down on releasing music true to her story and what she stands for.
About Tammy
Tammy Smith is the Founder and Creator of #TGIT “Thank God It’s Today!” She is a Singer, Songwriter, Recording Artist, Social Media Influencer, Vlogger, and Inspirational Speaker. She is a Domestic Abuse Survivor. After nearly being killed by her husband, Tammy decided to transform her pain into gain. Her passion is to bring awareness to domestic abuse and to bring positivity and hope to people all over the world each day. Her goal is to help one person each day to be grateful for TODAY as that may be our last day.
Discovering Her Purpose Through Pain
Tammy grew up loving country music. Her dad had a country-western nightclub where she would watch the band play. When they weren’t rehearsing she would get on stage to sing and play on the drums. She played Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Tanya Tucker, Lorrie Morgan, and all the greats. Tammy loved those women as their voices intrigued her and her dad taught her to learn from these great singers.
Later in life she got married and moved away becoming a military wife, which led her all over the world and then to Texas. Her whole focus was on her six children. She encouraged them to go after their dreams and put God as number one in their lives. Tammy went through a couple of divorces, she tried to do things on her own but learned God has a GPS: God’s Positioning System. He has never failed her. While working hard as a single mom, she then met a man who ended up being a 17-year nightmare of domestic abuse. She stayed for her children and had two with him. He threatened her life and to get her kids taken away. She couldn’t work, go anywhere, or listen to music. One day he choked her attempting to kill her and she knew she had to get out.
Tammy has been on a healing journey of trying to find herself. She took self-defense and would go to the beach to spend time alone with God. One year she went to Nashville instead and stayed in The Graduate Hotel with a karaoke bar. A group of women asked her to join them. They told her she had to sing so she sang “Crazy” by Patsy Cline. They made a video of her and she posted it on Facebook. A musician friend called her and said she should meet with his record label. He said she is a star and wants her to meet with them. When Tammy met with the label they signed her on the spot. They said she had a gift she hadn’t been able to use. While working on her music, Tammy started vlogging, sharing her journey and healing process. She created #TGIT – Thank God It’s Today. “I always say you never know, that could have been my last day,” says Tammy.
“God And A Job“
When Tammy started working on her EP, they pitched her more than a thousand songs; she picked six she liked and scheduled studio time. When it came time to record, she decided she didn’t like any of them. They asked if she wrote and she said poetry, so she decided to try songwriting. She met with cowriters and started writing lyrics. They wrote six songs within a couple days. On her way to record the songs, Tammy got into another relationship that ended up bad too and she thought to herself, what’s it going to take to get me after all I’ve been through? They must have “GOD and a JOB” – this inspired the female anthem about setting the standards of what it takes to be with her. It became her first release and went platinum organically. The music video reenacts what happened to her in a relationship.
“Lovin’ How The Leavin’ Feels” (Tammy’s second release)
“Someone To Love Me Right”
“Someone To Love Me Right” is Tammy’s third and most recent single. She has spent a lot of time alone in recent years. She loves being free and putting her red dress on. She knows who she is now and who she deserves and won’t compromise. She won’t rush, won’t settle for less, just wants someone to love her right. She has decided to be by herself, with God and music. She trusts that God will bring her the right person that meets her standards, “Someone who really gets her and sees the beauty deep inside,” says Tammy. She says nothing but God has gotten her through all this. She believes God had her go through all this for a reason, to help others, and bring healing, love, and light to the world. God has a mission for her, “I’m grateful I know what I’m here to do,” she says.
Reflection + More Music Coming
“When I was little, I was singing on a stage with passion, and I would go and write poetry… I gave my whole life to my children and put my dreams and passion aside. Then I thought, I don’t even know who I am anymore. Now that it’s (her dreams) coming to fruition, when I look back, every bit of that mattered. Singing my favorite artists, writing those poems that are now songs. Every bit of it was for a reason and every desire was put there by God because He wants to give those things. If we just trust His GPS, God’s Positioning System, in the end, we will get where He wants us to go. We may take detours and fall on our faces and have failed relationships, but in the end if we trust Him – he will bring our desires back full circle in the end and I am proof of that,” says Tammy.
Her upcoming music plans include releasing a song for Father’s Day as she is a daddy’s girl. She will drop an EP of six songs later this year and plans to work on a full album next year. Follow Tammy on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to stay in the know of her new releases. Be sure to follow me on Instagram @farmgirlwithcurls and YouTube for more new music I love, and subscribe so you don’t miss any exclusive interviews and music reviews!
📸 credit: @rgv_rileysgraphicvisions
Farm Girl With Curls 