Connie Smith was crowned “The Sweetheart of the Grand Ole Opry” when she became a member of the Grand Ole Opry family in 1965 along with classic country legends Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Skeeter Davis and others. Her song, Once A Day, became the first debut single in country music history by a female artist to reach number one, a record Smith maintained for 25 years.