Smith was adopted at birth by a pastor and his wife. She has a brother and two sisters (Shannon, Kim and Don). She grew up on Long Island where she developed a passion for music and began singing at an early age. After her mother's death from cancer in 1991, Smith moved with her father to Knoxville, Tennessee, and in 1994 she moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music.

Smith rose to fame in 2003 when she was the first artist signed to contribute to the Dolly Parton tribute album Just Because I'm a Woman. Her contribution to the project was a cover of Parton's classic "Jolene". Dolly Parton followed by adding backing vocals to a new mix of the song, which was then featured on Smith's debut album that was released in January 2004, One Moment More.

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In October 2006, Smith released her first single from her second album, Out Loud. The song was well-received by AAA rock radio and CMT. On January 10, 2007, she performed "Please Stay" on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

Smith included Buddy Miller as a duet vocalist for "What If the World Stops Turning".