Sam Smith was born on May 19, 1992, in London. A natural singer, Smith began performing as a child, but the first real press he got came in 2009, when his mother, a successful banker, was fired after allegedly promoting her 15-year-old son’s singing career while on company time. Smith had only recorded two songs at that point, and it would be a few years before he left his mark on the musical world.
Throughout his teenage years, Smith studied music while hitting the books at St. Mary's Catholic School in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. He looked for inspiration in such soulful artists as Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder while keeping a close eye on his future in the music business.