Legacy Music Publishing was established in 2010 as an effort to carry on the legacy of Bro. M. Lynwood Smith (1924-2007).
Bro. Smith was a gospel preacher, prolific songwriter, and longtime publisher of hymnals and other religious materials. He was born and reared in Lincoln County where he spent most of his 83 years. Lynwood acquired a love of singing and gospel music at a very early age and spent his life developing his remarkable talents. He attended the famed Stamps Quartet School of Music in Dallas, TX in the 1940's, learning music theory and versification from some of the greatest teachers in the history of gospel music. In the 1950's, he founded M. Lynwood Smith Publications and published numerous bi-annual hymnals, special song collections, and sheet music. He also founded a gospel chorus called "The Lamplighters" and produced several albums in the 1960's. Bro. Smith wrote hundreds of gospel songs that were published by notable publishers such as Stamps-Baxter, James D. Vaughan Music Publishers, and Tennessee Music & Printing Co. He also co-wrote many songs with greats such as Albert E. Brumley, Henry Slaughter, C.C. Stafford, Tillit S. Teddlie, L.D. Huffstutler, and others. His most used and familiar of compositions "O Lord, Our Lord" was co-written with the late Mr. Stafford and has appeared in numerous hymnals across the nation and around the world. He also composed "Some Things I'd Change" which was recorded by the famous Hovie Lister and the Statesmen Quartet in the 1970's. Lynwood lived a quiet but storied life in the home where he was raised near Brookhaven, MS. His poetry could sweep the strings of nearly any heart and that, in part, may be attributed to his simple life, his deep faith in Christ, and the rural, pastoral setting he called home for so many years. Below is a presentation shown after his passing which you might enjoy. May Bro. Smith's legacy continue to live through us as we sing the seemingly immortal songs he left behind.
