Born in St Louis, Missouri, he wrote songs for Isaac Hayes and The Isley Brothers, and formed a group with his brothers Danny and Louis Smith, the Smith Connection.
They recorded the album Under My Wings (1972), and had a number 28 R&B hit in 1973 with "(I've Been a Winner, I've Been a Loser) I've Been in Love".
[1][2][3] Using the name Michael Lovesmith for some credits, he also began working on record production with the vocal trio Honey Cone.
[2][3] In 1981, with his brothers Danny, Louis and Aaron Smith, he recorded the album Lovesmith, released by Motown and executive produced by Jermaine Jackson.
He then recorded as a solo artist, releasing the albums I Can Make It Happen (1983), Diamond in the Raw (1984), and Rhymes of Passion (1985).