LHHS Alum & Country Singer Granger Smith
On Sunday, November 1st, the country western singer and his band will perform at Lake Highlands High School "B" field in a benefit concert at 5:00 p.m.
Funds raised from the performance will benefit the LHHS academic booster fund "Wild for Cats" and the Wrangler Scholarship Fund.
In preparation for the upcoming event, LH Today visits with Granger about his Lake Highlands history, the band, and his recent success in the country music industry.
Back in 1997, as a student at Lake Highlands High School, Granger Smith made a decision that would help shape his future.
Along with a number of his teammates from the LHHS football team, Granger decided to try out for a newly-formed country western dance team, originally modeled after the Aggie Wranglers at Texas A&M University.
Three quarters of the football players earned a spot on the Lake Highlands Wildcat Wranglers, including Granger.
Next stop for the group? The Clinton Inauguration in Washington, DC.
"During my junior year, my experience with the Wranglers provided some of my best memories," says Granger.
"Playing football and dancing in front of thousands of people kept us all pretty busy," he says. "I truly enjoyed my time performing with the Wranglers that year."
"I owe a lot to the experience I gained as a Wrangler and the confidence it provided me. There's nothing like performing in front of 3,000 people as a junior in high school to give you a little training in Stage Presence 101."
Following his graduation from LHHS in 1998, Granger was off to College Station to attend Texas A&M. As a member of the Corps of Cadets his freshman year, there was little time left for any musical endeavors.
"I tried to keep writing songs, but it wasn't until my sophomore year that I was able to find time to dedicate to my music again," he says. Once he did, however, it didn't take long for EMI Music Publishing out of Nashville to find him.
Granger signed on as a singer-songwriter and spent 5 years writing and producing. But, two things were bothering him.
He missed playing live and he really wanted to finish college. So he headed back to Texas, re-enrolled in school and got busy performing.
