Lance Smith, VJ for CMT's MWL (Most Wanted Live), took a break from the set to sit down and talk
with us about himself, the music videos he was in, and what it's like to host a show. He also
wanted to make everyone aware that the place of the show has changed. It's now going to be taped at the Gibson Bluegrass Showcase in Opry Mills.
CIO: What's a typical day like on the set of Most Want Live?
Lance: That would begin at home, actually, especially if we have an artist on. They send me press
kits from the label, so I'll usually study the artist and get everything down - really try to know
the artist. Usually, if they're a popular artist, I know them, but I want to know more about them
than the people at home do because I want to give them information. Then, when I get here, we do
a script run-through. The writers and producers have the script together, and I read the entire
script in a little room in the office. We go through the entire show verbally. We make changes,
if necessary. Or, I might say, I don't want to say this, can we word it differently. That's how
they work together with me on that. Then I head straight to wardrobe, where I try on many things.
As a normal average guy, I don't enjoy doing that too much! I dig clothes and all, but I have to
try on a lot of stuff. I try on some clothes for the week, then I put on whatever I wear for the
day. They take my picture, to remember it always - we have a picture of everything I've worn.
Then I go to rehearsal. We rehearse on set just like it's a regular show without the audience.
If we have an artist on, we have somebody come and sit in, and they stumble through the questions,
even though they might not know what to say. To watch rehearsal, it's pretty amazing to see the
quality show we have afterwards. Rehearsal is us goofing off - it's mainly to get camera angles
down. From rehearsal, I go to make-up. I'm a guy - 10 minutes at most. Then SHOWTIME at 5
o'clock! It's a pretty structured day. Live at five every day, with the same type of format.
We throw in some different things every now and then - no big surprises. The days we do have
them makes the show fun because things are different.
CIO: The pictures of your clothes - is that to make sure you don't wear the same thing over and
over?
Lance: I wear a lot of the pants because they're jeans, but the shirts, no. I think I've worn 2
shirts again over the span of a 3 month period. We buy a lot of clothes!
CIO: How did you get this gig?
Lance: After I graduated high school, I wanted to be an actor. I worked really hard at it. I had
to learn on my own, because I didn't take drama in high school. I knew I wanted to be in the
entertainment industry, and I'm from here, so I thought maybe I could do music videos. I started
taking acting classes, and I got an agent. I started doing music videos for CMT. One thing led
to another. I moved to L.A., pursued the acting career there. When I was here in Nashville, I
got an audition with the Dixie Chicks to be on their Fly tour. I was half-time entertainment - I
was a glorified cheerleader. I ran around and entertained the crowd, pumped them up, between the
opening act and the Chicks. I upgraded crazy fans to the front row. With that, I had a good reel.
My agent sent me out on an audition they'd heard about for CMT for a show called Most Wanted Live.
I auditioned with over 300 people. They brought in nationally known people - a guy from E!
auditioned. One guy I was sitting next to was asking how to pronounce a name, Chris Thiele of
Nickel Creek. The little devil on my shoulder was saying tell him wrong! I told him right, but
as I was looking at his script, it had William Morris at the top of it. I'm thinking great, I'm
up against William Morris, everybody from New York, L.A. But, I worked really hard, everybody
backed me, with the reel and audition process, I got the gig.
CIO: What were some of the music videos you were in?
Lance: The first one I did was The Wilkinsons' "Fly the Angel Song". It was my first on-screen
kiss! She was 15, I was 20, and her mom was standing off on the side! Her mother was going, go
darlin' go! I didn't know she was going to kiss me. It was all her improv. I thought, you're
going to make it in this business. She was fun, and the video was great. It was by Deaton
Flannigan. The second video I did was Julie Reeves "It's About Time". It was her first video.
I got the lead in that, or the principle role, as they say in the business. Right after the Julie
Reeves video, I moved to L.A., worked there, did the Chicks tour. When I came back to Nashville,
my great agent had me audition for Meredith Edwards' "A Rose is a Rose". I got that, and it was
a blast. Deaton Flannigan did that as well. They remembered me from the first time, not during
the audition, but when I was on-set. I did that, which came out in January, 2001, and a few
months later, I got this job.
CIO: What's one of the best things about working with MWL?
Lance: As far as the show goes, behind the scenes, the people! This is my big break, and I do
love this job! I love country music. I'm from here, so it's great to be here, but the people
behind the scenes - the producers, the directors, the production assistants, everybody - we're all
a big family. We're all friends. I laugh every time I say I have to go to work. I don't know
what else to call it! I gotta go play? Probably the greatest thing about working on the show is
that it's what I love, and I'm surrounded by people I consider true true friends. We all hang out
together.
CIO: Who's your favorite person you interviewed?
Lance: That's tough…I've interviewed so many. I get this question a lot. I try to think of other
people, because one name always pops into my head, and I think no think of somebody else, but
Dolly Parton. I mean, it's Dolly Parton! She shook her chest on national tv, right next to me!
I turned so many shades of red! Dolly was great. I can't get over it! As I was interviewing her,
I had to constantly remind myself to look her in the eye and remember what to say and not to uh…
Dwight Yoakam…I'm a big Dwight Yoakam fan. He's my favorite, one of my favorites. I have many.
Trick Pony, I have to say Trick Pony! They've been on the show 2 times, and they're just a blast!
Three different personalities…as long as I can fend Ira off…
CIO: What are some things you do in your spare time?
Lance: I hang out by myself a lot. I go to the movies - I live at the movie theatre. I sound
like such a loser answering this question! I like basic things - shoot pool, throw darts with my
buddies - but I hang out by myself a lot. I just recently bought a Playstation. I'm playing
John Madden, and my neighbors hear football 24/7! I miss my brother, so I try to see him every
chance I can! My parents live in Franklin, just 20 minutes down the road. We're very close, but
I don't see him as much as I'd like to. They come to the show - he loves it here!
CIO: Do you get recognized a lot now?
Lance: I don't know if I can say a lot, because I don't know what to compare it to. I guess I do.
It's a strange thing. There's different scenarios. There's the scenario where I walk into a room
and I can see or feel people looking at me, and they turn their head and whisper to their buddy.
I hear a lot of, is he that guy? I'm known as 'that guy' to a lot of people! Another scenario
would be where I'm walking around somewhere, like the mall, and I'm looking around and make eye
contact with somebody. I smile and wave because I know they're looking at me, but I don't want
to be conceited and assume they know who I am. We both look away, but then I catch them looking
at me again. They come over, and then there's the scenario of them saying, Lance hey! I'm still
new to all of this, I don't know what you would call it, fame I guess. So, I assume they're my
friends that I went to high school with and I'm thinking oh no I can't remember their name! But,
of course I can't remember their name because I never knew them! It's something to get used to.
CIO: A reader, Sonya, asked this: What's your all-time favorite song?
Lance: Those favorite questions are so tough! Dwight Yoakam's version of Honky Tonk Man is pretty
good! Strictly country, that's a great song! Gary Allan's Right Where I Need To Be is a great
song. The video is alright. It's cool because you get to see Gary playing in it. I dig videos
where you can see the band playing. That was filmed at the Nashville airport. Gary's cool
because he loves his band. Him and his guitarist, Jake, are always hanging out together.
Non-country Baby Got Sauce by G-Love and Special Sauce! It's a great song! It's very bluesy,
very rootsy. It has a good beat to it, but it's not hip-hop. One thing I love about country
music is that it's so American. It's very rootsy. Blues is very similar to that. A lot of the
time, you can find blues cross-overs in country songs. Toby Keith's I Wanna Talk About Me is a
song written by Bobby Bradock, whose had numerous hits, but none like I Wanna Talk About Me. Thats
a very different song for him. Toby did a great job with it, Bobby penned a great song, and a lot
of people are like, oh it's rap! There were a lot of nay-sayers. It's not, really - it's bluesy.
It's just the way Toby is presenting it. You find a lot of blues in a lot of country.
CIO: Another reader, Jill, asked what are some sports that you like, and did you play any as a kid?
Lance: Football! I bleed football. Did I play football? No. I moved a lot as a kid. Remember
that kid in school that was really small, he never grew, and he looked like he was 3 years younger
than you? That was me. Until I was in high school, about senior year, I played soccer. I had
fun! My dad always gives me the 'son you're a great athlete and I'm sorry we never gave you the
chance' because they moved me everywhere, but I loved that. He had a lot of job transfers. My
parents are my heroes. While my dad was away, my mom held us all together. My dad would do
anything to provide for us. I am where I am today because of them. I said, mom, dad, I don't
want to go to college, I want to be an actor. When they got done laughing, they helped me out.
They believed in me all the way.
Lance Smith
CIO: What's a typical day like on the set of Most Want Live?
