Editorial Staff
Who is Patti Smith?
American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, author, and photographer Patricia Lee Smith was born on December 30, 1946. Her 1975 debut album Horses made her a prominent figure in the New York City-based punk rock movement. Smith has incorporated rock and poetry into her work. Her 1978 hit, ‘Because the Night,’ which she co-wrote with Bruce Springsteen, reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number five on the UK Singles Chart.
The French Ministry of Culture appointed Smith as a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2005. In 2007, she was admitted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The National Book Award went to Smith in November 2010 for her memoir Just Kids, which was written to keep her promise to Robert Mapplethorpe, her longtime partner and friend.
| Real Name/Full Name | Patricia Lee Smith |
| Date Of Birth | December 30, 1946 |
| Age | 79 years old |
| Birthplace | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Zodiac sign | Capricorn |
| Father Name | Grant Smith |
| Mother Name | Beverly Smith |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Height | 5 feet 8 inch |
| Weight | 60 kg |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse Name | Fred Smith (M. 1980 TO Died. 1994) |
| Children Name | Jackson Smith, and Jesse Smith |
| Siblings Name | Todd Smith, and Linda Smith |
| Profession | American Singer, Songwriter, Poet, Painter, Author, and Photographer |
| Net Worth | $5 Million |
Early Life & Education
Born on December 30, 1946, at Grant Hospital in the Lincoln Park section of Chicago, Smith was the son of jazz singer Beverly Smith and Honeywell machinist Grant Smith. Linda, Kimberly, and Todd were her siblings, and she was the youngest of them all. After moving to Philadelphia when she was four, her family moved to Woodbury, New Jersey. From a young age, Smith’s creative inclinations were nurtured by her deep engagement with literature and music in her upbringing. Her parents’ diverse interests, which ranged from horse racing to religion and UFOs, added to the enrichment of her early exposure to the arts. The eclectic environment provided Smith with the opportunity to nurture her imaginative spirit and lay the foundation for her future artistic endeavors.
Deptford Township High School was where she finished her primary education in 1964. She then applied for a job at a toy factory. Her first single, ‘Piss Factory’, was inspired by the grueling experience she had at the factory. She entered Glassboro State Teachers College in the fall of 1964 with the goal of becoming a high school art teacher. Her poor academic performance and her insistence on focusing on experimental artists led to her dropping out of the same.
In 1969, Smith and her sister embarked on a trip to Paris where they began busking and performing art. After returning to Manhattan, Smith resided with Robert Mapplethorpe at the Hotel Chelsea. Max’s Kansas City on Park Avenue is where they frequently went, and Smith recorded a spoken word soundtrack for Sandy Daley’s art film Robert Having His Nipple Pierced, which featured Mapplethorpe. Jayne County and Smith teamed up to perform in Jackie Curtis’ Femme Fatale the same year. In addition, she played a leading role in Anthony Ingrassia’s production ‘Island’. In the early 1970s, she devoted herself to painting, writing, and performing as a member of the Poetry Project.
Career
Her involvement in painting, writing, and performing began in the early 1970s. The medium of artistic expression she preferred was performance poetry. February 10, 1971 marked the start of her public reading at St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery. The New York arts scene has a new talent to watch out for due to her success in her performance at St. Marks. In order to enhance her reputation, she co-wrote and starred with Sam Shepard in the semiautobiographical play ‘Cowboy Mouth’.
Her writing career was her primary focus, and she published her first book of poetry in 1972. Despite not generating a soaring sales number, the book ‘Seventh Heaven’ received flattering remarks from the audience. Additionally, she authored two additional works, namely ‘Early Morning Dream’ and ‘Witt’, both of which received praise. She wrote lyrics for several songs by the band Blue Oyster Cult, such as ‘Debbie Denise’, ‘Baby Ice Dog’, ‘Career of Evil’, ‘Fire of Unknown Origin’, ‘The Revenge of Vera Gemini’, and ‘Shooting Shark’.
In 1974, she founded her own band, The Patti Smith Group, and released her first recorded single, titled ‘Piss Factory’. The track, which was dubbed the first pure punk song, gained a cult following and was highly praised by both critics and the public. Arista Records was the record company she signed with in the following year. Her debut album, ‘Horses’, was released in the same year. ‘Gloria’ and ‘Land of Thousand Dances’ were both prominent singles on the album. The heart of millions of fans and critics around the world were won by the energetic music and soulful lyrics.
Their second album, ‘Radio Ethiopia’, was released by the Patti Smith Group in 1976. The album was well received and set the stage for a third release titled ‘Easter’. The album had the popular song ‘Because the Night’ included. The success story of her predecessors was not replicated by her fourth album, ‘Wave’, which was released in 1979.
Her former colleagues and she reunited in the following year to produce the album ‘Gone Again’, which included the singles ‘About a Boy’, ‘Summer Cannibals’, and ‘Wicked Messenger’. Furthermore, she worked with Stipe on the song ‘E-Bow the Letter’.
Her next album, ‘Trampin’, was released by Columbia Records in 2004, which would become Arista Records’ sister label. Songs about motherhood were included in the album as a tribute to her mother who passed away in 2002. In 2005, she and the Patti Smith Group members reunited to perform their album ‘Horses’ in concert. The following year, a recording of the same was made available to the public.
In 2010, she played a part in the film ‘Socialisme’, which was shown at the 2010 Cannes Festival. In the following year, she debuted as an actor on TV in the episode ‘Icarus’ of ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’. In June 2012, she released her most recent album, ‘Banga’. The album received praise and admiration for its depiction of her traditional style of mixing poetry with rock.
She is currently working on a crime novel that takes place in London and Gothenburg, Sweden. Her love for detective stories has persisted since childhood, resulting in her writing a book in the genre.
Personal Life
Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith, guitarist of the MC5, married Smith in 1980. There were two children in the couple: Jackson, a son, and Jesse, a daughter. In 1994, Smith went back to New York and resumed her artistic pursuits after Fred’s death.
Net Worth
Smith’s net worth has been estimated at approximately $5 million by 2026. Music royalties, book sales, and visual art exhibitions are just some of the ways she makes money. Her modest yet comfortable lifestyle is reflected in the properties she owns in New York and Michigan.
