In 1996, Smith worked with her long-time band to record Gone Again , featuring “About a Boy”, a tribute to Kurt Cobain , the former lead singer of Nirvana who died by suicide in 1994. The same year, she collaborated with Stipe on ” E-Bow the Letter “, a song…
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In June 1988, Smith released the album Dream of Life , which included the song ” People Have the Power “. Michael Stipe of R.E.M. and Allen Ginsberg , whom she had known since her early years in New York City, urged her return to live music and touring. She…
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The Patti Smith Group produced two further albums. Easter , released in 1978, was their most commercially successful record. It included the band’s top single ” Because the Night “, co-written with Bruce Springsteen . Wave (1979) was less successful, although the songs ” Frederick ” and ” Dancing Barefoot…
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On January 23, 1977, while touring in support of Radio Ethiopia , Smith accidentally danced off a high stage in Tampa, Florida , and fell 15 feet onto a concrete orchestra pit , breaking several cervical vertebrae . The injury required a period of rest and physical therapy , during…
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In March 1975, the Patti Smith Group began a two-month weekend set of shows at CBGB in New York City with the band Television . The Patti Smith Group was spotted by Clive Davis , who signed them to Arista Records .
In 1973, Smith teamed up again with musician and rock archivist Lenny Kaye, and later added Richard Sohl on piano. The trio developed into a full band with the addition of Ivan Král on guitar and bass and Jay Dee Daugherty on drums. Financed by Sam Wagstaff , the band…
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In 1971, Smith performed in the one-act play Cowboy Mouth , which she co-wrote with Sam Shepard . She wrote several poems about Shepard and their relationship including “Sam Shepard: 9 Random Years (7 + 2)”. On February 10, 1971, Smith, accompanied by Lenny Kaye on electric guitar, opened for…
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In 1969, Smith went to Paris with her sister, and started busking and doing performance art. When Smith returned to Manhattan, she lived at the Hotel Chelsea with Robert Mapplethorpe . They frequented Max’s Kansas City on Park Avenue , and Smith provided the spoken word soundtrack for Sandy Daley’s…
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