: John is a man of few words who keeps to himself, working the deepest reaches of the mine.
Watch Big Smo's modern take on the legendary 'Big John' story below: Big Smo - Big John TheShadowrocker YouTube• Jan 7, 2017 Big Smo - Big John
: Just like the character in the song, Smo faced a heavy burden. At his heaviest, he weighed 387 pounds. Following a quadruple bypass heart surgery in 2015, he underwent a massive lifestyle change, losing over 140 pounds. : John is a man of few words
: After his health crisis, he transitioned from "Big Smo" to simply SMO , shifting his focus from "whiskey and moonshine" to a message of faith and self-discipline. Following a quadruple bypass heart surgery in 2015,
The story follows a mysterious, massive figure who drifts into a mining town. Standing six-foot-six and weighing 245 pounds, he carries a dark past from New Orleans, where he reportedly killed a man with a single blow.
In his track the Tennessee "hick-hop" pioneer Big Smo (John Lee Smith) pays homage to the legendary 1961 country ballad "Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean. Smo’s version serves as a modern anthem of strength and blue-collar resilience, reimagining the iconic miner's story for his "Kinfoke" audience. The Legend of Big John
: John uses his immense strength to hold up the sagging timber alone. He stays behind to ensure every one of his coworkers escapes the collapsing shaft.