Conner Smith has steadily risen to fame in the country music world after releasing his 2021 TikTok-viral single, “I Hate Alabama.” After that, his success expanded. But after June 2025’s CMA Fest, the “Creek Will Rise” artist was reportedly involved in a car accident that allegedly killed an elderly pedestrian.
Below, News47.us has gathered five facts about Smith.
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Smith was also raised in the famous city. He is currently 24 years old.
Smith went viral on TikTok for his 2021 single “I Hate Alabama,” which features lyrics battering the University of Alabama’s atmosphere, but the song, Smith clarified, is really about a breakup.
“I think we were very mindful of making sure of that. If this song had just been about football, we would never have recorded it,” the singer said, according to TheTuscaloosaNews.com in 2021. “There’s no point in that; it’s just ridiculous. Just kind of shunning a whole state, or a whole town, that’s not our goal at all. This is a love song, this is a heartbreak song, and it’s just kind of centered around college.”
While reacting to the attention his single received, Smith said he “kind of freaked out,” calling it a “diamond in the rough.”
“We thought this song could be really, really special,” he added. “I think the magic in this song is that at the end of the day, it’s a compliment to Alabama. …Then you get to the hook and realize it’s not about football at all. As a songwriter, that’s a perfect hook.”
