Who Is Patti Smith?
Patti Smith is a renowned singer, writer, and visual artist who emerged as a pivotal figure in the New York City punk rock scene during the 1970s. Following her time working on a factory assembly line, she began her artistic journey performing spoken word poetry before forming the Patti Smith Group, which operated from 1974 to 1979. Her landmark album, Horses, is widely regarded as one of the defining records of punk rock. Smith’s relationship with guitarist Fred “Sonic” Smith led to a temporary hiatus in her musical career; however, she made a significant return to music after his untimely death and later gained recognition for her series of autobiographical books.
Early Life
Patricia Lee Smith was born on December 30, 1946, in Chicago, Illinois, as the eldest of four children to Beverly Smith, a jazz singer turned waitress, and Grant Smith, a machinist at a Honeywell plant. After spending her early childhood in Chicago, the Smith family relocated to Philadelphia in 1950, eventually settling in Woodbury, New Jersey, in 1956 when Patti was nine years old. As a tall, gangly, and somewhat frail child with a lazy left eye, Smith’s appearance and shy disposition belied her future as a groundbreaking rock star. Despite these challenges, she possessed an unwavering belief in her potential for greatness. Reflecting on her youth, Smith stated, “When I was a little kid, I always knew that I had some special kind of thing inside me. I mean, I wasn’t attractive, I wasn’t very verbal, I wasn’t very smart in school. I wasn’t anything that showed the world I was something special, but I had this tremendous hope all the time. I had this tremendous spirit that kept me going… I was a happy child because I had this feeling that I was going to go beyond my physical body… I just knew it.”
Art and Musical Inspirations
In her childhood, Patti Smith grappled with feelings of gender confusion. Often described as a tomboy, she gravitated away from traditionally “girly” activities, instead enjoying roughhousing with her predominantly male peers. Her tall, lean, and somewhat masculine physique contrasted sharply with conventional images of femininity. It wasn’t until a high school art teacher introduced her to the depictions of women by some of the world’s great artists that Smith began to reconcile her self-image. “Art totally freed me,” Smith recalled. “I found Modigliani, I discovered Picasso’s blue period, and I thought, ‘Look at this—these are great masters, and the women are all built like I am.’ I started ripping pictures out of the books and taking them home to pose in front of the mirror.”
Attending Deptford High School, a racially integrated institution, Smith formed friendships and romantic relationships with her Black classmates. During this period, she also cultivated a profound interest in music and performance, developing a love for artists such as John Coltrane, Little Richard, and the Rolling Stones. She participated in numerous school plays and musicals, showcasing her burgeoning talent.
After graduating high school in 1964, Smith briefly worked in a toy factory—a disappointing experience that she later captured in her debut single, “Piss Factory.” In the fall of that year, she enrolled at Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) with aspirations of becoming a high school art teacher. However, her academic performance suffered, and her insistence on focusing solely on experimental and obscure artists did not resonate well with the school’s administration. Consequently, in 1967, with vague aspirations of becoming an artist, Smith relocated to New York City and secured a position at a Manhattan bookstore.
Lyrical Expression
In New York, Smith became involved with the young artist Robert Mapplethorpe. Although their romantic relationship ended when he acknowledged his homosexuality, they maintained a close friendship and collaborative artistic partnership for many years.
Smith chose performance poetry as her primary artistic medium, making her public debut on February 10, 1971, at St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery. This seminal reading, accompanied by guitarist Lenny Kaye, positioned Smith as an emerging figure in New York’s art scene. Later that year, she further enhanced her profile by co-authoring and co-starring in Sam Shepard’s semi-autobiographical play, Cowboy Mouth.
Over the ensuing years, Smith devoted herself to writing. In 1972, she published her first poetry collection, Seventh Heaven, which, despite receiving critical acclaim, sold poorly. Her subsequent works, Early Morning Dream (1972) and Witt (1973), garnered similar praise. Concurrently, Smith contributed music journalism to prominent publications like Creem and Rolling Stone.
‘Horses’ and the Birth of Punk Rock
Having previously experimented with blending her poetry and music, Smith began to explore rock ‘n’ roll as a medium for her lyrical expression. In 1974, she formed a band and recorded the single “Piss Factory,” widely regarded as one of the first true punk songs, which earned her a dedicated grassroots following. The following year, after Bob Dylan attended one of her concerts, lending her mainstream credibility, Smith secured a record deal with Arista Records. Her 1975 debut album, Horses, featuring iconic tracks such as “Gloria” and “Land of a Thousand Dances,” achieved both commercial success and critical acclaim for its energetic performances, poignant lyrics, and masterful wordplay. Horses is frequently hailed as a definitive early punk rock album and remains a staple on lists of the greatest albums of all time.
Commercial Success: ‘Easter’ and ‘Because the Night’
Rebranding her act as the Patti Smith Group to honor her band—comprising Lenny Kaye (guitar), Ivan Kral (bass), Jay Dee Daugherty (drums), and Richard Sohl (piano)—Smith released her second album, Radio Ethiopia, in 1976. The Patti Smith Group then achieved significant commercial success with their third album, Easter (1978), propelled by the hit single “Because the Night,” co-written by Smith and Bruce Springsteen.
Seclusion and Domestic Life
Patti Smith’s fourth album, Wave, released in 1979, received lukewarm reviews and achieved modest sales. During this period, Smith developed a deep romantic relationship with Fred “Sonic” Smith, guitarist of the influential rock band MC5, leading to their marriage in 1980. For the next 17 years, Smith largely withdrew from the public eye, focusing on domestic life and raising their two children. In this time, she released only one album, Dream of Life in 1988, a collaboration with her husband. Despite featuring one of Smith’s most iconic singles, “People Have the Power,” the album was commercially disappointing.
Comeback and Legacy
The passing of Fred “Sonic” Smith from a heart attack in 1994—following a series of losses among her close friends and collaborators—served as a catalyst for Smith to revive her music career. She made a triumphant return in 1996 with her comeback album, Gone Again, which included notable singles such as “Summer Cannibals” and “Wicked Messenger.”
Smith solidified her position in the rock music scene with subsequent albums like Peace and Noise (1997), Gung Ho (2000), and Trampin’ (2004). All of these releases received critical acclaim, showcasing her ability to adapt her music to resonate with a new generation of rock fans. In 2007, she released Twelve, an album featuring her interpretations of classic rock songs, including “Gimme Shelter,” “Changing of the Guards,” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Her 2012 album, Banga, further demonstrated her evolution as an artist after 35 years in the industry and 11 albums.
As a pioneer of punk rock, Smith redefined the role of female rock stars, blending her poetic lyricism with powerful guitar-driven music. She is regarded as one of the most significant figures in rock history. Reflecting on her enduring passion for music, she states, “The people I lost all believed in me, and my children needed me, so that’s a lot of reasons to continue, let alone that life is great. It’s difficult, but it’s great, and every day some new, wonderful thing is revealed. Whether it’s a new book, or the sky is beautiful, or another full moon, or you meet a new friend—life is interesting.”
Memoirs: Just Kids, M Train, Year of the Monkey
In 2010, Smith published her highly praised memoir Just Kids, which offers an intimate portrayal of her “starving artist” youth and her profound relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe during the late 1960s and 1970s in New York City. This work became a New York Times bestseller and earned Smith a National Book Award. In 2015, Showtime Networks announced the development of a limited series based on Just Kids. That same year, she released M Train, another memoir that intertwines her reflections on art and connection with her experiences traveling the world.
In 2019, Smith published her third memoir, Year of the Monkey, which chronicles the events of her life in 2016, from visiting dying friends to her response to Donald Trump’s presidential victory.