By: Laura Claffey
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.