Patti Smith | Artist

Patti Smith | Artist

Tags: Era_1970s, Gender_Female, Genre_Poetry, Genre_Punk, Origin_USA, Type_Artist

Patricia Lee Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and visual artist born 1946 in Chicago, Illinois. She became influential in the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 masterpiece debut album Horses with Lenny Kaye on guitar and produced by John Cale. Called the "punk poet laureate" Smith fuses poetry in her rock/post-punk work. At the age of 21 Smith moved to NYC where she met and formed an intense relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Mapplethorpe was an important artistic inspiration to Smith and they remained lifelong friends until Mapplethorpe's death in 1989. Mapplethorpe's photographs of her became the covers for the Patti Smith Group albums. Smith frequented NYC's CBGBs and Max's Kansas City clubs, and fell in with the burgeoning punk new-wave rock scene. By 1974, Patti Smith was performing rock music, initially with guitarist, bassist and rock archivist Lenny Kaye and later with a full band comprising Kaye (guitar), Ivan Kral (guitar, bass), Jay Dee Daugherty (drums) and Richard Sohlon (piano). In 1980 Smith married Fred "Sonic" Smith, former guitarist for Detroit rock band MC5, who died in 1995. Fred and Patti's son married White Stripes' drummer Meg White. Outstanding Patti Smith albums include Horses, Radio Ethiopia, Easter, Wave, Gone Again and Trampin'. The 2002 compilation Land (1975-2002) is an excellent collection of album tracks, outtakes, live tracks and other unreleased material. Smith continues recording and performing and has authored many books including poetry and semi-autobiographical works.

Artist Website: pattismith.net

Featured Albums: Patti Smith

Related Artists: MC5, Robert Mapplethorpe


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