LT Smooth Visits High School

Sharing his Life Stories

By: Peyton Johnson

The High School was filled with excitement Friday when LT Smooth came to speak of his life and share his musical gifts.

LT Smooth, born Fimati Leon Malala Toomata O’Sullivan in New Zealand, grew up the son of an abusive drug dealing father. Since the age of nine, Smooth’s father took him and three of his brothers with him to deal heroin and cocaine throughout New Zealand. Through these years, he suffered abuse, addiction and the loss of his brothers.

When his father died, Smooth escaped to Australia with the help of his mother, where he got clean in a convent. It’s then where he turned to music.

Smooth has learned to play nineteen instruments using only YouTube, and has written all his music on his toilet, saying that it has the best acoustics.

The reason Smooth spoke was to share his story of healing and forgiveness, and to tell students to not give up.

“I’ve got to keep sharing so that I can heal, and so I can save a life out there,” Smooth said in an assembly Friday.

Madison High School is the last stop on Smooth’s journey through 20 of Idaho’s high school. He will return to Rexburg for Idaho Summerfest  in July.