Biography
Recognized as punk rock's foremost poetic voice, Patti Smith stands out as one of rock & roll's most impactful women performers ever. Her bold, singular, and provocative sound earned acclaim for blending rock with verse more vibrantly than anything since Bob Dylan's prime era. Though this mix stayed largely outside mainstream appeal throughout much of her path, the reason lay not in any rejection of popularity but in her commitment to pursuing inspiration freely, whether through conventional song structures, unstructured experiments, or temporary withdrawals from music altogether. Even her most experimental pieces incorporated improvisation and dynamic exchange inspired by free jazz, all while staying grounded in raw, basic, three-chord rock & roll.
Chicago-born and raised across Philadelphia and nearby New Jersey, Smith eventually reached New York City, where she immersed herself in the local art scene through much of the early '70s. She lived with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe at the Chelsea Hotel while exploring multiple creative outlets that ranged from poetry and painting to playwriting. By 1974 she had started performing as a rock musician alongside guitarist/bassist Lenny Kaye, soon forming the core of what became the Patti Smith Group. After Kaye, pianist Richard Sohl joined first, followed soon by Czechoslovakian-born guitarist/bassist Ivan Král and drummer Jay Dee Daugherty.
Following the independent release of the "Hey Joe" b/w "Piss Factory" single, Patti Smith Group secured a major record deal as the first CBGB-associated punk act when famed A&R man Clive Davis signed them to Arista in 1975. Issued in December of that year, Horses merged Smith's unconventional post-beat poet lyrical approach with a primitive rock minimalism that felt striking and wholly unique. Although credited solely to Smith, the combined force of Smith, Kaye, Sohl, Král, and Daugherty embodied the stark power of the emerging punk movement, leading to 1976's Radio Ethiopia being attributed to Patti Smith Group. During a January 1977 tour date in Florida, Smith sustained a serious neck injury after falling from the stage into the concrete orchestra pit. After an extended recovery and physical therapy, she and the group returned with what became their commercial breakthrough, 1978's Easter. Produced by Jimmy Iovine and featuring the Bruce Springsteen co-written hit "Because the Night," Easter received widespread praise as one of the year's standout albums and an artistic return to form after the more challenging Radio Ethiopia. It also marked the temporary absence of keyboardist Sohl, replaced in the studio by Bruce Brody.
As the '70s ended, so did the original Patti Smith Group's run. After the 1979 release of their fourth album, Wave, Smith and her newlywed husband, Fred "Sonic" Smith, moved to Detroit, where she spent most of the decade in semi-retirement while raising a family. Král went on to work with Iggy Pop, compose music for several independent films, and record solo material in his native Czech Republic. Sohl rejoined Smith for her 1988 solo album, Dream of Life, before suffering a fatal heart attack in 1990. Since the mid-'90s, Smith's longtime creative foils Kaye and Daugherty, joined by late-period bassist Tony Shanahan, have served as her primary band; although the name "Patti Smith Group" no longer appeared on album covers, they remained her closest collaborators both on-stage and in the studio. Original Patti Smith Group guitarist Ivan Král died on February 2, 2020, at the age of 71.
Chicago-born and raised across Philadelphia and nearby New Jersey, Smith eventually reached New York City, where she immersed herself in the local art scene through much of the early '70s. She lived with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe at the Chelsea Hotel while exploring multiple creative outlets that ranged from poetry and painting to playwriting. By 1974 she had started performing as a rock musician alongside guitarist/bassist Lenny Kaye, soon forming the core of what became the Patti Smith Group. After Kaye, pianist Richard Sohl joined first, followed soon by Czechoslovakian-born guitarist/bassist Ivan Král and drummer Jay Dee Daugherty.
Following the independent release of the "Hey Joe" b/w "Piss Factory" single, Patti Smith Group secured a major record deal as the first CBGB-associated punk act when famed A&R man Clive Davis signed them to Arista in 1975. Issued in December of that year, Horses merged Smith's unconventional post-beat poet lyrical approach with a primitive rock minimalism that felt striking and wholly unique. Although credited solely to Smith, the combined force of Smith, Kaye, Sohl, Král, and Daugherty embodied the stark power of the emerging punk movement, leading to 1976's Radio Ethiopia being attributed to Patti Smith Group. During a January 1977 tour date in Florida, Smith sustained a serious neck injury after falling from the stage into the concrete orchestra pit. After an extended recovery and physical therapy, she and the group returned with what became their commercial breakthrough, 1978's Easter. Produced by Jimmy Iovine and featuring the Bruce Springsteen co-written hit "Because the Night," Easter received widespread praise as one of the year's standout albums and an artistic return to form after the more challenging Radio Ethiopia. It also marked the temporary absence of keyboardist Sohl, replaced in the studio by Bruce Brody.
As the '70s ended, so did the original Patti Smith Group's run. After the 1979 release of their fourth album, Wave, Smith and her newlywed husband, Fred "Sonic" Smith, moved to Detroit, where she spent most of the decade in semi-retirement while raising a family. Král went on to work with Iggy Pop, compose music for several independent films, and record solo material in his native Czech Republic. Sohl rejoined Smith for her 1988 solo album, Dream of Life, before suffering a fatal heart attack in 1990. Since the mid-'90s, Smith's longtime creative foils Kaye and Daugherty, joined by late-period bassist Tony Shanahan, have served as her primary band; although the name "Patti Smith Group" no longer appeared on album covers, they remained her closest collaborators both on-stage and in the studio. Original Patti Smith Group guitarist Ivan Král died on February 2, 2020, at the age of 71.
Albums
