“It all started with CCM Magazine, let’s be honest!”

In 2001, a shy teenager in small-town Pennsylvania flipped through the pages of CCM Magazine and found something that would change the trajectory of her entire life—an ad for Greenville College in Illinois, promoting a new Contemporary Christian Music program. The school’s credibility was backed by the success of its alumni, Jars of Clay. For Stephanie Smith, it felt like a divine sign. She packed up her fears and followed a whisper of calling to chase a dream that felt bigger than herself.

By 2005, Smith was standing on the main stage at a student-run festival at Greenville, not as a headliner—but as the winner of a campus battle of the bands, performing a humble lunchtime set. From his tour bus, where he was pouring a midday coffee, TobyMac overheard her voice and was stopped in his tracks. That one unexpected moment of timing and talent sparked something divinely orchestrated. In January 2006, Stephanie moved to Nashville and signed with Gotee Records.

The whirlwind that followed was nothing short of electric. In the winter of 2008, she released her debut album, Not Afraid, a bold statement of faith, fire, and vulnerability. She hit the road with Winter Jam 2009, performing alongside Christian music giants like Brandon Heath, Francesca Battistelli, Hawk Nelson, and TobyMac. On that tour, Toby encouraged her to lean into a grittier, rock-forward sound. Inspired, she and her band wrote six new songs and released her self-titled EP that fall. Later that year, she joined TobyMac and Relient K for Winter Wonder Slam, with her voice blazing across arenas and hearts.

But just as quickly as the ascent came, the momentum began to shift.

In 2012, Smith left Gotee. As a parting gift—one of the rarest and most generous in the industry—the label offered her full ownership of her master recordings. At the time, it felt less like a gift and more like a goodbye she wasn’t ready for. She had been a fan of TobyMac and the Gotee family long before she ever signed with them. And just a month later, the heartbreak deepened. Her beloved manager, Glenda McNalley, passed away unexpectedly. Grief, disappointment, and confusion collided, and with a heavy heart, Stephanie shelved the recordings. What had once burned like fire now lay quiet, hidden away in a cedar closet.

She stepped away from her solo career, choosing instead to embrace the quiet: becoming a wife to Tim Skipper—lead singer of House of Heroes and her former label mate—and forming the duo Copperlily together. It was a season of simplicity and healing.

Then, in 2018, the fire sparked again. Smith reappeared on NBC’s The Voice, joining Team Adam and delivering a hauntingly emotional performance of a Kelly Clarkson song about her estranged father. The moment was raw and cathartic—and perhaps a preview of what was to come. The next year, Stephanie reconnected with her father, only to lose him unexpectedly in 2020. From the ashes of their complicated story, she began to write again—not just songs, but truths. In 2024, she self-published her debut memoir, Thank You For Failing Me, a bold and redemptive look at brokenness, forgiveness, and faith.

And then—after over a decade of silence—Stephanie did the bravest thing yet.

She opened the cedar closet. Inside were the master recordings from her Gotee days, untouched for 12 years. This spring, she made the decision to release them to the world once more. The music that launched her, that shaped her, that carried her through mountaintops and valleys—Not Afraid and her Self-Titled EP—were finally made available again on all streaming platforms.

“Today, I can see Gotee was offering me a gift by transferring ownership of my masters, they didn’t have to do that. At the time, I just desperately wanted to belong in the Gotee family. But now I have the gift of hindsight and know those years were special, I grew so much and had experiences I wouldn’t trade for anything; it is all worth celebrating. And it’s absolutely time I reposted them.”

Gotee reposted the announcement, embracing their former artist with open arms. And here at CCM Magazine—the place where it all started—we’re honored to be the pages her story returns to.

The heartbreaking journey is still there, but now so is the redemption.

STREAM STEPHANIE SMITH’S MUSIC:

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