Patti Smith on the Night That Changed Her Life
In 1976, the bicentennial year celebrating the American Revolution, we were touring the album Horses, moving boldly toward the future. It was a free-spirited time, spending moments with William Burroughs in his Bowery bunker, watching Television perform at CBGB, plotting an unpredictable future with my brother Todd, and traveling across America with a rock’n’roll band.
Our country had deep flaws: the shame of Vietnam, racial injustice, and sexual discrimination. Yet we took pride in America’s cultural achievements, including rock’n’roll, jazz, activism, abstract expressionism, and the Beat generation. During this period, I felt empowered and deeply committed to our mission.
Touring Along the West Coast
On the west coast tour of Horses, the band – Lenny Kaye on guitar, Jay Dee Daugherty on drums, Ivan Král on bass, and Richard Sohl on keyboards – traveled alongside Paul Getty and French actress Maria Schneider.
- Maria Schneider, celebrated for her roles in The Passenger and Last Tango in Paris, had intense black eyes and a wild mass of dark hair. She often wore a white shirt and black tie, a striking figure.
- Paul Getty, the grandson of one of the wealthiest oil magnates and a notorious victim of a failed kidnapping in Italy, had been introduced to me by William Burroughs.
- Paul was a favorite of mine, with his fiery red hair, freckled skin, and eyes that, like mine, were slightly cast.
"William Burroughs had introduced him to me, a pale acolyte, the youngest passing through his portal of saints."
This night marked a pivotal moment in my life and career, a convergence of art, culture, and personal connection that shaped my path forward.
Author's summary: Patti Smith reflects on the transformative 1976 tour of Horses, capturing a moment of cultural revolution and personal empowerment amid America’s contradictions.
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