Granger Smith Posts 'Keepsake' Selfie From His Final Show

Granger Smith posted a selfie on Tuesday (August 29) to capture the memory of his final performance as a touring artist. The now-former country star revealed earlier this year that he would end his career as a touring musician after more than two decades to pursue ministry instead.

Smith took the photo on stage in Fort Worth, Texas, snapping a selfie with his arm outstretched as the crowd raised their arms in the air and cheered. The “Backroad Song” artist said the photo serves as “a keepsake” from his final show. “It’s been such a privilege to claim that job title for so many years!”

“Let’s be clear. This is not retirement. That would mean I’m quitting work altogether,” Smith said as he shared the photo on Instagram on Tuesday. “It’s also not because I’m burned out or unwell or sick or heartbroken or grieving. I am more at peace and more free than any other time of my life. It’s not for any of those reasons.”

Smith quoted the Bible verse Matthew 13:44 as he shared the “real reason” he’s ending his years as a touring musician. The After Midnite host and Like A River author said, in part,: “I want my family to experience it and my kids to know this joy. I don’t want a career based upon building a name for myself to get in the way of that, no matter what kind of popularity or career I’ve gained. There is not another #1 song I can write, album I can release, sold out concert I can perform, that is more important than this. …I hope to see y’all soon on a new kind of stage.”