Granger Smith Announces His Final Tour And That He Is Leaving Music For Ministry In Emotional Video

Country music superstar Granger Smith is saying goodbye to touring after 24 years, and is ready to embark on a new chapter of his life. After nearly three decades, an redneck alter ego dubbed Earl Dibbles Jr. and 11 full lengths albums to his name, Smith is hanging up his hat and setting sights on God.

Granger Smith.PHOTO: JEREMY COWART

The Backroad Song singer announced on his social media pages that he's leaving country music in order to more focus on ministry at his local church in Austin, Texas. His upcoming Like a River tour will serve as his farewell to his country career as well as honor his 3-year-old son River who died after a tragic drowning accident in 2019.

"I have felt a strong desire to pursue ministry. This doesn't mean I'm going to start a church, but this is a time of learning and growing for me," Granger told fans in a heartfelt video.

In recent months, the singer has been more active on his TikTok page focusing less on music and more on more faithful topics. Granger has used his passion for ministry to help answer fan submitted questions, and it seemed that it was only a matter of time before he made the leap.

Smith also revealed on Tuesday that his upcoming emotional memoir, Like a River: Finding the Faith and Strength to Move Forward After Loss and Heartache, will be released in conjunction with the tour on Aug. 1.The book follows Granger's emotional journey through the highs and lows after his son River's death, balancing music with grief.

"And this was during COVID, and I wasn't touring, and I was reading this like, 'Where in country music am I modeling that for other people? Because all I'm doing as far as I see — and I'm not speaking to any other artist — is glorifying myself,'"Granger told PEOPLE. That's a contradiction that has built up within me over and over until I had to come to this conclusion that there's now a turning point, a new direction for my life."

Granger will wrap his farewell tour with two shows at the famed Billy Bobs in Fort Worth.