Billy Wayne Smith is best known as the first husband of Anna Nicole Smith and the father of her son, Daniel Wayne Smith.
Long before Anna became a Playboy icon, the two were teenagers working the same shift at a fried chicken restaurant in Mexia, Texas.
This article covers his age, family, career, and what is publicly known about his life today.
Who is Billy Wayne Smith?
Billy Wayne Smith is an American man from Mexia, Texas, who briefly stepped into the public eye through his marriage to Anna Nicole Smith. He worked as a fry cook when the two met as teenagers in the mid-1980s.
Their marriage produced one child, Daniel Wayne Smith. However, Billy chose to stay out of the spotlight for the rest of his life.
He has never given a detailed public interview about his marriage. Most information about him comes from Anna Nicole’s own accounts and reporting by outlets like Nicki Swift and ABC News.
Early Life of Billy Wayne Smith
Billy Wayne Smith was born and raised in Mexia, Texas, a small town roughly 80 miles south of Dallas. He grew up in a working-class household.
Like Anna Nicole, he dropped out of high school. This was reportedly due to financial pressure at home.
He took a job as a fry cook at Jim’s Krispy Fried Chicken in Mexia. That job is where he met his future wife.
Billy Wayne Smith Age
Billy Wayne Smith was born on January 27, 1967, according to most biography sources. Some outlets have listed 1968 instead, so the exact year carries slight uncertainty.
Using the more widely cited 1967 birth date, he is 59 years old as of July 2026. His zodiac sign is Aquarius. Not every detail of his early life has been confirmed publicly.
Billy Wayne Smith’s Father, Mother and Family
Details about Billy’s parents and siblings have not been made public. No verified names or occupations for his family members exist in reliable reporting.
He is American and has been described in various sources as white. Beyond that, his family background remains largely private.
Friends from Mexia, including Jo McLemore, have spoken about Billy in interviews. However, they have focused mainly on his character rather than his family history.
Billy Wayne Smith Education
Billy Wayne Smith’s education is not publicly documented in detail. Reports agree that he dropped out of high school, the same as Anna Nicole did.
No source confirms whether he later completed a GED or pursued any further training. This part of his life stays largely undocumented.
His work history, rather than schooling, is what most biographies rely on.
Billy Wayne Smith’s Career
Before meeting Anna Nicole, Billy worked in the oilfield as a young man. He later took the fry cook job at Jim’s Krispy Fried Chicken in Mexia.
That restaurant job became the setting where he met Vickie Lynn Hogan, the woman who later became Anna Nicole Smith. She worked there as a waitress.
No verified reporting describes what career Billy pursued after the marriage ended. He appears to have stayed in Mexia and out of public work life.
Billy Wayne Smith Today
As of the most recent reporting, Billy Wayne Smith reportedly still lives in Mexia, Texas. A family friend, Jo McLemore, said in 2022 that he remained in the town.
McLemore also said Billy never remarried and did not have other children. No confirmed public death record or announcement exists for him.
Billy has avoided interviews and public appearances for decades. His last confirmed public appearance was at a memorial service for his son in 2007.
Billy Wayne Smith Wife
Billy Wayne Smith married only once, to Anna Nicole Smith. Their relationship began when both were teenagers working at the same Texas restaurant.
According to Anna Nicole’s own account, she pursued him. She later said his lack of attention was part of what drew her in. The marriage did not last long once fame entered the picture.
Billy Wayne Smith Anna Nicole Smith
Billy and Anna Nicole married on April 4, 1985, according to IMDb records. She was 17 and he was 16 at the time, per reporting from Nicki Swift.
Anna Nicole later described him as controlling in the marriage. She claimed he did not want her leaving the house without him.
Her mother, Virgie Arthur, remembered Billy differently. She told the Daily Mail in 2017 that he was shy and did not seek attention.
Billy Wayne Smith Separation
Billy and Anna Nicole separated in 1987, roughly two years after their wedding. Anna Nicole moved back to Houston with their infant son, Daniel.
The couple did not formalize their divorce right away. They remained legally married for several more years despite living apart.
Their divorce was finalized in 1993. By then, Anna Nicole had already begun a relationship with billionaire J. Howard Marshall.
Billy Wayne Smith Kids
Billy and Anna Nicole had one child together, Daniel Wayne Smith, born January 22, 1986. Daniel was raised mostly by his mother and grandmother in Houston.
Billy reportedly had limited contact with Daniel as he grew up. Some reports say he had not seen his son since Daniel was a toddler.
Daniel died on September 10, 2006, in Nassau, Bahamas, from an accidental drug overdose. He was 20 years old and had been visiting his mother days after she gave birth to his half-sister, Dannielynn.
Billy attended a memorial service for Daniel in Mexia in 2007. He also reportedly sought to have Daniel’s remains moved closer to his Texas family, though that effort did not succeed.
Billy Wayne Smith Height and Weight
Billy Wayne Smith’s exact height and weight have not been confirmed through reliable sources. Some biography sites list him at around 5 feet 10 inches, but this figure is not independently verified.
No confirmed data exists for his weight. As with several details of his private life, this information has simply never been made public.
Billy Wayne Smith Net Worth
Billy Wayne Smith’s net worth is $3 million as of 2026, with no verifiable sources for that figure.
He worked blue-collar jobs, including as a cook and in the oilfield, throughout his life. There is no confirmed evidence connecting him to any high-earning career.
Given the lack of reliable sourcing, any specific net worth figure for Billy Wayne Smith should be treated as unconfirmed.
Billy Wayne Smith Facts to Know
- Billy Wayne Smith was born on January 27, 1967, in Mexia, Texas.
- He met Anna Nicole Smith while both worked at Jim’s Krispy Fried Chicken.
- They married on April 4, 1985, and had one son, Daniel.
- The couple separated in 1987 and divorced in 1993.
- Billy reportedly still lives in Mexia and never remarried.
- His last known public appearance was at Daniel’s 2007 memorial service.
Final Thought
Billy Wayne Smith’s story stands apart from the fame that later defined his ex-wife’s life. He stayed in Mexia, Texas, while Anna Nicole became a national headline.
Their son Daniel connected them for two decades, ending only with his tragic death in 2006. Billy’s own life after that has remained almost entirely private.
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