Patti Smith
#17,770 Most Popular
About
Singer-songwriter, poet, and visual artist whose 1975 album Horses significantly influenced the New York punk scene. She has released over 10 albums throughout her career, including 8 as a solo artist. Her musical fame and long career have earned her over 1.3 million followers on Instagram.
Before Fame
She was introduced to artists like Harry Belafonte and Bob Dylan when she was young and left her Jehovah's Witness background as a teenager.
Trivia
She was the recipient of the 2010 National Book Award for Just Kids, her memoir. Her song "Because the Night" has accumulated over 200 million streams on Spotify.
Family Life
She married Fred Sonic Smith on March 1, 1980, and they had a son named Jackson and a daughter named Jesse together before Fred's death in 1994.
Associated With
Smith and Allen Ginsberg were close friends; they met when Ginsberg mistook her for an attractive young man and he bought her lunch.