Patti Smith
b. 31 December 1946, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Smith was raised in New Jersey and became infatuated by music, principally the Rolling Stones, the Velvet Underground, Jimi Hendrix and James Brown. Her initial talent focussed on poetry and art. Her early writing, captured on three anthologies, SEVENTH HEAVEN (1971), KODAK (1972) and WITT (1973), was inspired by Arthur Rimbaud and William Burroughs, but as the '70s progressed she was increasingly drawn towards fusing such work with rock. In 1971, Smith was accompanied by guitarist Lenny Kaye for a reading in St Mark's Church, and this informal liaison continued for three years until the duo was joined by Richard Sohl (piano) in the first Patti Smith Group. Their first recording, Hey Joe/‘Piss Factory’, was in part financed by photographer Robert Mappelthorpe, later responsible for many of the artist's striking album portraits. By 1974 the unit had become one of the most popular acts at New York's pivotal CBGB's club. Ivan Kral (bass) and J.D. Daugherty (drums) were then added to the line-up featured on HORSES. This highly-lauded set, produced by John Cale, skilfully invoked Patti's '60s mentors but in a celebratory manner, rather than that of pastiche. By simultaneously capturing the fire of punk, Smith completed a collection welcomed by both old and new audiences. However, RADIO ETHIOPIA was perceived as self-indulgent and the artist's career was further undermined when she incurred a broken neck upon falling offstage early in 1977. A lengthy recuperation ensued but Smith re-emerged in July with a series of excellent concerts and the following year scored considerable commercial success with EASTER. This powerful set included Because The Night, co-written with Bruce Springsteen, which deservedly reached the UK Top 5, but WAVE failed to sustain such acclaim. Patti then married former MC 5 guitarist Fred Sonic Smith, and retired from active performing for much of the '80s. She resumed recording in 1988 with DREAM OF LIFE, which contained the artist's customary call-to-arms idealism (People Have The Power) and respect for rock and poetic tradition.