The artist lineup for Austin City Limits Music Festival was released several months ago and to the excitement of ticket holders, many familiar performers such as Lana Del Rey, Eminem and Lorde were headliners. Hidden among the lesser known bands, however, was Sam Smith. Little did people know, this hidden name would blow up by October.

Smith’s music career began when he was just an adolescent. In high school he was a member of the Youth Theater Club UK where he made his debut in the musical “Oh! Carol”. His mentor, Joanna Eden helped him pursue his studies in jazz and songwriting. Smith is inspired by artists such as Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin who provided him with a more soulful approach to his practice.

At 21 years old, Smith made his debut on Disclosure’s single, “Latch”. The song peaked at number 11 on the UK’s Singles Chart and in 2013, he made it to number 1. As a featured artist on Naughty Boy’s “La La La,” Smith reached stardom. The name Sam Smith began to mean something.

His first single, “Lay Me Down” took a much more laid back approach than the songs he was featured on previously. Channeling his inspirations, Smith sang to a slower tempo. His debut album, “In the Lonely Hour,” came out in 2014. Like his first song, the album featured more soulful songs, such as, “Money on My Mind” and “I’ve Told You Now.” Smith shared that its inspiration came from the rejection that he so frequently faced.

In 2014, Smith released “Stay With Me” and it was an international hit. It became one of iTunes’s top purchased songs and received nominations for several awards, including an MTV music video in America, a Best Song award in Europe, and the title of “Song of Summer” by Variance Magazine. Due to it’s success, Smith was featured on Saturday Night Live and the cover of The Fader magazine.

By the end of the summer, Smith’s song was world famous and he had reached international stardom. Smith’s “In the Lonely Hour” tour kicked off in London this May and it will make a stop in Austin, TX, on Oct. 3, where thousands of fans will anticipate the arrival of the breakout star.