“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to face,” Marty said through tears. “She’s my heart, my home, my everything. And watching her go through this… it breaks me.”

Connie Smith, one of the most revered voices in country music history and a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, has long been praised not only for her powerful voice but for her faith, warmth, and humility. Now in her late 70s, Connie’s health has been quietly declining over the past year, and recent tests confirmed the worst — a terminal condition that the couple has chosen not to specify publicly, asking instead for prayers and privacy.

“She has faced this with more grace than I can describe,” Marty added. “Even now, she thinks more about comforting me than herself.”

Marty and Connie’s marriage has long been one of the most admired in country music — a true story of love, respect, and spiritual connection. They met when Marty was just a teenager, admiring Connie from afar as she rose to stardom in the 1960s. Years later, they reunited, fell in love, and have been inseparable ever since.

Fans around the world are expressing their sorrow and support, knowing how much this couple has meant to the genre and to each other:

“This is heartbreaking. Connie’s voice raised generations. We’re praying for strength and peace.”
“Marty and Connie are real love — you could hear it in every duet, every glance.”