Old School Bohemians

PATTI SMITH

NAME: Patti Smith, born Patricia Lee Smith

OCCUPATION: Singer, songwriter, poet and visual artist

HOMETOWN: Chicago, Illinois

YEARS IN NEW YORK: 40+, she moved to New York in 1967 and started working in a book store where she met photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Their remained strong friends and inspirations to each other through their work. After a short stint in Paris, Smith and Mapplethorpe moved into the Hotel Chelsea.

KNOWN IN NEW YORK BECAUSE…: Known as the “Godmother of Punk” Smith was a huge part of the downtown punk rock scene. Her 1975 debut album Horses was an influential component of that movement.

THE SCENE: Spoken word poetry clubs to hard core punk rock clubs. Smith lived in the Hotel Chelsea and lingered around SoHo and Greenwich before it was popular. She was submerged in the New York counterculture art scene with the likes of Mapplethorpe, Bob Dylan, and the CBGB crew.

WHY WE LOVE HER: Her confidence and coolness is one that can’t be matched. She crosses boundaries in the art world with her ideas of music, poetry and art; and is one of the most influential female artists from an inspiring generation. And she’s still making music to this day.

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