5 Little-Known Facts Every Patti Smith Fan Should Know

Most fans know Patti Smith for her stellar collection of poetically groundbreaking songs, such as her cover of Van Morrison's "Gloria" that became a punk rock classic, yet there are plenty of lesser-known facts that fans and laypeople alike should know. Smith spent more than 50 years as one of rock's fiercest literary figures, combining her talents as a poet and musician, and was an early influence for punk rock. Over her career, Smith established herself as a rock legend, and her landmark album "Horses" has consistently been ranked by the music industry media as one of the best of all time. 

Woven within the rich tapestry of Smith's life and catalog are smaller yet no less significant details of the Chicago-born rocker, such as the famous book that inspired her to write or the unlikely place where she finished one of her most acclaimed literary works. Here are five facts about Smith that even devoted fans might not know.

Long before she picked up a guitar, Patti Smith said she found a version of herself in Jo March, the tomboyish, headstrong character in Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women." In an essay published in The Paris Review, Smith recalled being a "wiry daydreamer" at the age of 10 who saw herself in Jo, right down to the ripped skirts and disregard for the era's rigid expectations of young women.

Smith looked to Alcott's words for encouragement, applying them to her own battle with loss and hardship. Learning how Jo struggled toward becoming a writer, failures and all, gave her the push she needed to chase the same dream herself.

Other literary inspirations included the poet Arthur Rimbaud, of whom Smith told the Independent, "... he lived a very full life as an adventurer, and wrote masterpieces at an early age." Rimbaud's short life motivated her to return to writing after retiring with her late husband and former MC5 member, Fred "Sonic" Smith.

Patti Smith's live debut wasn't even a rock show, nor was it on an actual stage. In February 1971, she was barely into her 20s and opened a poetry reading at a Manhattan church, accompanied by future Patti Smith Group guitarist Lenny Kaye, who strummed along on an electric guitar as she read a beat poem about a car crash.

Wanting to read her poems the way her notable influences like Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix performed their poetry, Smith told NME, "No one had brought an electric guitar in the church before," and that the stunt was not taken well by the hosts. Nonetheless, her work with Kaye that night would go on to lay the foundation of a partnership that would span more than 50 years. The two artists are still working together as of 2026, and Smith has even collaborated with Kaye on his most recent solo venture, "Goin' Local."

The National Book Award-winning memoir about Patti Smith's relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe wasn't completed in New York, where most of the story unfolds, but rather in a renovated chapel in southern France belonging to none other than Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis.

Smith told Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the "Wiser Than Me" podcast that Depp would bring her food and do his best not to interrupt her. When she finally finished her manuscript, Depp had stayed up to read it and then promptly delivered his verdict, calling it a "masterpiece." Smith said it was her book's first unofficial review.

This unlikely friendship between Depp and Smith would continue, and Smith even dedicated her song "Nine" to Depp in 2012. Depp would later appear on stage and in the studio with Smith, joining her for shows such as her 50th anniversary performance of "Horses."

Patti Smith recruited John Cale to produce her titular band's debut, "Horses," because she wanted a producer from her own New York punk scene who would have a greater understanding of her CBGB roots. CBGB was a dive bar where many notable punk rock acts got their start, including Smith and guitarist Lenny Kaye, who shared a residency with the band Television in 1974. Cale's credentials, being a founding member of Velvet Underground and a producer for the Stooges, fit Smith's requirements. However, the studio sessions were far from smooth.

Smith told Melody Maker in 1975 (via Far Out), "I asked John to do it for me, I begged him to, and we had nothing but friction, but it was a love-hate relationship, and it worked." At first, Cale was not a fan of the band's sound during their early studio sessions, and the band had to fight to prove to Cale that they had what it took to make a record.

Patti Smith's connection with Jim Morrison dates back to 1967, when she attended a Doors concert that left a massive impression on her. Only months after releasing her debut single "Hey Joe" in August 1974, Smith made an appearance on former Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek's solo album, "The Whole Thing Started with Rock & Roll Now It's Out of Control." On the track "I Wake Up Screaming," Smith is credited on the sleeve as "poetess" for reciting one of Jim Morrison's short poems partway through the song, an excerpt Morrison would occasionally perform live. 

The credit on "I Wake Up Screaming," though small, captures exactly what Smith was known for: combining her poetry with rock 'n' roll. In the same decade, Smith also lent her lyrical prowess to Blue Öyster Cult on songs such as "Baby Ice Dog" and "The Revenge of Verga Gemini," on which she sang alongside frontman Eric Bloom.