| Patti Smith Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 7¾ in |
| Weight | 53 kg |
| Date of Birth | December 30, 1946 |
| Zodiac Sign | Capricorn |
| Eye Color | Blue |
Patti Smith is an American singer, songwriter, musician, author, and poet who has often been referred to as the “punk poet laureate”. She became an influential figure of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses. She has also released albums like Peace and Noise, Banga, Dream of Life, Easter, Radio Ethiopia, Gone Again, Trampin’, Wave, Gung Ho, and Twelve. Smith was named a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 2005 and she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
Born Name
Patricia Lee Smith
Nick Names
Patti, The Godmother of Punk
Sun Sign
Capricorn
Born Place
Grant Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Residence
Rockaway, Queens, New York, United States
Nationality
Education
Patti Smith studied at Deptford Township High School, from where she graduated in 1964. She also attended Glassboro State College (later: Rowan University).
Occupation
Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Author, Poet
Family
- Father – Grant Harrison Smith (Machinist at a Honeywell plant)
- Mother – Beverly Smith (A jazz singer turned waitress)
- Siblings – Linda (Younger Sister), Kimberly (Younger Sister), Todd (Younger Brother)
- Others – William Walter Harrison Smith (Paternal Grandfather), Jessie Pollard (Paternal Grandmother), Franklin Milton “Frank” Williams (Maternal Grandfather), Marguerite Hanscom Smith (Maternal Grandmother)
Manager
Patti Smith has been represented by Primary Talent International, Talent Agency, London, England, United Kingdom.
Genre
Punk Rock, Art Punk, Proto-punk, Art Rock
Instruments
Vocals, Guitar, Clarinet
Labels
Arista, Columbia Records
Net Worth
According to CelebrityNetWorth.com, her net worth had been $16 Million.
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 7¾ in or 172 cm
Weight
53 kg or 117 lbs
Girlfriend / Boyfriend / Spouse
Patti Smith has dated –
- Tom Verlaine
- Paul Simonon
- Penny Arcade – She once hooked up with performance artist Penny Arcade.
- Jim Carroll
- Todd Rundgren
- Bruce Springsteen – Patti had an affair with singer, songwriter, and musician Bruce Springsteen in the past.
- Robert Mapplethorpe – She met photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in New York City while working at a bookstore. They eventually started dating and struggled with times of poverty and Mapplethorpe struggled with his own s*xuality as well. She has referred to him as “the artist of my life” and has credited him to be one of the most important people in her life. They remained lifelong friends after their breakup and he died in 1989.
- Allen Lanier (1973-1978)
- Jimmy Iovine (1978)
- Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith (1980-1994) – She got married to Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith, former guitar player for Detroit rock band MC5 and his own Sonic’s Rendezvous Band, in 1980. They were blessed with 2 children – a son named Jackson Smith (b. 1982) and a daughter named Jesse Smith (b. 1987). On November 4, 1994, Fred died of a heart attack.
- Sam Shepard – Actor and playwright Sam Shepard once went out with Patti.
- Oliver Ray – Patti was previously romantically involved with guitarist Oliver Ray.
- Ralph Fiennes (2009) – She had a short-termed romance with English actor, film producer, and director Ralph Fiennes in 2009.
Note – On April 26, 1967, she gave birth to her first child, a daughter, whom she placed for adoption.
Race / Ethnicity
White
Patti Smith is of Irish, English, Welsh, and Cornish descent.
Hair Color
Gray
Eye Color
Blue
Sexual Orientation
Bisexual
Distinctive Features
Lanky frame
Religion
She was raised a Jehovah’s Witness but left organized religion as a teenager because she felt it was too confining.
When she was around 11 or 12, she had an avid interest in Tibetan Buddhism and once stated, “I fell in love with Tibet because their essential mission was to keep a continual stream of prayer”. However, as an adult, she concluded that religious dogmas are “… man-made laws that you can either decide to abide by or not.”
Patti Smith Facts
- Her family shifted from Chicago to Germantown, Philadelphia when Patti was 4 years old and later moved to Pitman, New Jersey. They then moved to The Woodbury Gardens section of Deptford Township, New Jersey.
- After graduating from Deptford Township High School, Patti Smith worked in a factory.
- Her memoir Just Kids won the National Book Award on November 17, 2010.
- In December 2010, she was placed 47th in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of 100 Greatest Artists.
- Patti Smith has supported the US Green Party.
- Earlier in her career, she declined to embrace feminism: “I have a son and a daughter, people always talk to me about feminism and women’s rights, but I have a son too—I believe in human rights.”
Featured Image by Beni Köhler / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
