Grant Maloy Smith is known for creating theme albums in the AMERICAN STORIES series, including the Billboard Top 10 and award-winning titles MISSISSIPPI, APPALACHIA, and DUST BOWL. He writes more songs than he can use for these albums, so many songs are never heard except in his concerts. After receiving numerous requests for recordings of these gems, he decided to record and release them. However, there were too many songs for one album, so they will be released on three separate albums, organized by song type. The first is PENNY BALLADS. This collection of tender ballads reveals a softer side of his writing. It features Grant's top-notch singing and playing guitar, keyboards, mandolin, and dulcimer. But it also includes guest performances from world-class players like Grammy® and IBGA-winning Rob Ickes on dobro, Steve Stokes on fiddle, ACM-winning steel guitar player Mike Johnson, Tim Lorsch, Grady Kinnoin, and more. 

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WHAT'S A PENNY BALLAD?

A penny ballad was a popular, inexpensive printed song sold widely from the 16th through the 19th centuries, especially in England and later in colonial America. Typically printed on a single sheet of paper (a "broadside"), these ballads were sold for a penny or less, making them accessible to a working-class audience. Ballad hawkers—street vendors who sang the verses to attract buyers—distributed news and entertainment. They featured various themes: love and romance, murder and crime, historical events, religious warnings, and sensational or supernatural stories. 

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RELEASE INFORMATION

PENNY BALLADS will be released by June 2025. However, CDs will be available only on this website in May. Later in the year, it will be followed by a collection of Country and Roots songs called BARN DOORS and an album of uptempo tracks called GRANT MALOY SMITH. 

Please stay tuned to this website and follow Grant on social media to learn more about the release and to obtain your own copy.

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ORDER AN AUTOGRAPHED CD

Although it's a streaming world, many people order CDs as a keepsake, and to have a direct, physical connection with an artist's music. You can pre-order a copy of this album right now, and Grant will sign and dedicate it to the name of your choice and mail it to you as soon as CDs are available (late May is the estimated timeframe). Please order in the shop on this website.