The Life and Artistry of Patti Smith

Patti Smith is an American singer-songwriter, author, and poet widely known as one of the founders and most influential artists in the burgeoning 1970s New York City punk rock movement. Her debut album Horses, with its fusion of spoken poetry and punk rock avant-garde, chronicles both her personal experiences as a female artist and musician as well as her commentary on varied topics such as suicide, poverty, and the subject of rock and roll. This album has come to be known as one of the first punk records and to this day remains a voice and anthem for the disenfranchised, lending influences to many contemporary artists.

Patti Smith’s Early Life

Smith was born on December 30th, 1946 in Chicago, Illinois. The oldest of four children from a working-class family, she quickly learned self-sufficiency and independence.

She was most often described as a tomboy and has spoken of her experience with gender confusion. It wasn’t until her high school years, when a piece of art depicting tall and lean women by Modigliani was shown to her by her teacher, that she began to come to terms with her body and sense of self.

She is quoted as saying,

Art totally freed me. These are great masters and the women are all built like I am.

Her love for music and performance was greatly influenced by this time in high school. Similar to how her self-confidence had been awakened by art, this love of music developed when friends began introducing her to the music of John Coltrane, Little Richard, and the Rolling Stones.

Inspiration and Artistry in New York City

After several failed experiences with college and working-class jobs, one of which inspired her first single “Piss Factory”, in 1967, Smith packed up and moved to New York City. She took a job working at a Manhattan bookstore but it was her aspirations of becoming an artist that held her true interest.

It wasn’t long before she developed a relationship with another young creative, Robert Mapplethorpe. While the relationship did not last long, their friendship and artist partnership has continued to span decades.

For the next five years, Smith created and published three poetry books: Seventh Heaven (1972), Early Morning Dream (1972), and Witt (1973). All three books, while not bestsellers, received favorable reviews from critics who celebrated her uniquely provocative and personal writing style.

Soon, Smith began setting her poetry to music, beginning with the earlier written “Piss Factory”. This song is considered by many to be the first true punk song and garnered her favor with Bob Dylan who attended one of her concerts.

Following this, Smith signed with Arista Records and in 1975 released the dynamic and commercially and critically successful first album Horses.

“Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine”

Patti Smith on the first track of Horses

This riotous first line set the tone for this half social commentary and half personal journal, which cemented Smith as one of the principal artists in the city’s new punk scene.

Smith’s third album Easter released in 1978, further catapulted her group into the mainstream with the single hit “Because the Night”, which she had co-written with Bruce Springsteen.

Around the time of her fourth release, Smith married MC5 guitarist Fred “Sonic” Smith. She began to disappear from the public scene and for the next 17 years only released one album, co-created with her husband, which spawned the iconic single “People Have the Power”.

Patti Smith’s Legacy

It was Fred “Sonic” Smith’s death by a heart attack in 1994 that prompted Smith to return to her music career and for the next 30 years, she released her albums Peace and Noise (1997), Gung Ho (2000), and Trampin’ (2004) all of which were critically successful and positively exposed her to a new generation of punk fans.

Throughout her decade-spanning career, Smith built herself up as one of the most important and creatively relevant figures in the music and art scene through her constant reinvention.

However, it is Smith’s dedicated commitment to her artistic vision of personal and dynamic storytelling that has continued to win her fans and inspired countless artists from Michael Stipe of R.E.M and Shirley Manson of Garbage to actors such as Elliot Page and Maria Doyle Kennedy.

Smith’s artistry continues to be recognized to this day, giving a voice to new generations of punk fans.

Image Sources

• Horses album cover: Patti Smith, 1975 © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation.
• With the birds: Patti Smith, 1975 © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation.
• Patti Smith Older: New Directions Publishing