Patti Smith Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

This week, I haven't been able to put my book down.

John Lydon has said that he believes it’s “wrong” to credit Patti Smith and, more broadly, New York with punk’s origins – saying the UK did it first.Smith was an essential part of the punk movement within the US with her 1975 debut album ‘Horses’. The former Sex Pistol and Public Image Ltd frontman, however, claims that the UK is the actual birthplace of the genre with acts such as David Bowie, T-Rex, Sweet, The Clash, The Dammed and the Sex Pistols.In an interview with The Sun, Lydon said: “I’ve heard an awful lot of American journalists pretending that the whole punk influence came out of New York.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Unless you’ve got a “Succession”-sized story of ludicrous wealth combined with horrible behavior, it can be very challenging for a documentarian to make the life of an executive seem exciting — even one as colorful as that of Ron Delsener, one of the greatest concert promoters of all time… which is what makes “Ron Delsener Presents,” a documentary on that colorful life, all the more impressive. While the 90-odd-minute doc is a bit overlong and based largely on wealthy old music-biz veterans telling war stories from their rough-and-tumble years, director Jake Sumner uses deep research, fascinating concert and other archival footage, animation and snappy editing to create a very entertaining, if slightly smoothed-over, film that doubles as a sort of mini-history of the American concert business.

Patti Smith joined Greta Thunberg at her weekly school strike on Friday. Now, you might have noted that Smith is not a Swedish school student, but then again, neither is Thunberg anymore – Friday’s protest was her 251st and took place on the day she graduated from secondary school.“This is Greta Thunberg, faithfully taking her Friday school strike for climate action”, wrote Smith in a post on Instagram.

Patti Smith took part in Greta Thunberg‘s final ever school strike in Stockholm this week as the climate activist graduates.After 251 weeks of striking outside her school in the Swedish capital every Friday in protest of climate change, Thunberg marked her last ever strike this week (June 9), though will still be holding the weekly protest.“School strike week 251. Today, I graduate from school, which means I’ll no longer be able to school strike for the climate,” she wrote on Twitter. “This is then the last school strike for me, so I guess I have to write something on this day.”At the end of a lengthy tweet thread, she said: “I’ll continue to protest on Fridays, even though it’s not technically “school striking”.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days” is a hot property in Cannes, and it’s yet to even premiere. Several buyers are currently circling the Japan-set, music-infused title from master filmmaker Wenders, which bows in competition on Thursday. Sources tell Variety that interested parties so far include Utopia, MUBI, Magnolia, Sideshow and Janus Films and Sony Pictures Classics. Wenders’ “Perfect Days” follows Tokyo toilet cleaner Hirayama, who seems content with his simple life. Outside of his everyday routine, he enjoys his passion for books and, in particular, for music. Over the course of the film, a series of unexpected encounters gradually reveal more of his past.

On a spring afternoon in 1982, a young musician named Johnny Marr turned up unannounced outside a council house in Kings Road, Stretford.

The National in their hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, has announced the line-up for its 2023 edition.The two-day event returns to Smale Park on September 15 and 16 and will, as ever, be headlined by the band themselves, who will play two unique headline sets. It will also play host to the likes of Patti Smith, Pavement and The Walkmen.Weyes Blood, Snail Mail, Bartees Strange, Arooj Aftab, Julia Jacklin, The Drin, Leo Pastel, Carriers, and Ballard all complete the line-up.“When we launched Homecoming in 2018, we were overwhelmed by the response from the community and by our renewed sense of connection to our hometown,” The National said in a statement [via Consequence of Sound].

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic There has never been a compilation album in the history of rock as influential as “Nuggets,” a 1972 double-LP that revived a period and style that was seen as having ended about five years before. It was nostalgia of a sort for the very recent past — as opposed to the very distant past that’s now being celebrated with fondness as “Nuggets” itself surpasses the half-century, arguably no less central to a certain rock ‘n’ roll ethos than ever. Lenny Kaye, now best known as the guitarist for Patti Smith’s band, but then highly regarded as a rock critic, compiled the original “Nuggets” for Elektra and may have saved an early wave of garage-rock for the ages … although some would give the collection even more credit, for helping invent, or at least bring into focus, the burgeoning punk-rock movement in the 1970s.

Patti Smith has warned fans about a fraudster who is posing as one of her reps and asking people to send pieces of their hair.Taking to Instagram yesterday (April 3), the singer-songwriter wrote: “This is [a] warning against stupid fraud.”Smith explained in the attached video: “If somebody calls you, emails you, or any of the other ways people communicate supposedly on my behalf asking for something, like perhaps your hair so that they can make me, a… say, wig, it’s obviously [not me].“I would never have anybody petition anybody about anything. If I want something, I’ll ask for it myself.

Beninese artist and songwriter Angélique Kidjo, Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell have been announced as the recipients of this year’s Polar Music Prize.They will be presented with their prizes and 600,000 Swedish Kroner at a ceremony in Stockholm on 23 May, which will be livestreamed on YouTube if you fancy watching it.Bigging up this year’s winners, the prize’s MD Marie Ledin says: “Angélique Kidjo is an inspirational artist, she constantly explores and challenges and is one of the greatest singer-songwriters in international music. We are THRILLED to be recognising her talent and shining a light on her important work with the Batonga Foundation”.“Arvo Pärt is one of the most incredible composers the world has ever seen, and his beautiful music has touched audiences around the globe”, she adds.

Patti Smith was among the artists to perform at a Paul McCartney tribute gig at New York’s Carnegie Hall this week – watch her version of The Beatles‘ ‘She’s Coming Home’ below.‘The Music of Paul McCartney’ was held at the legendary venue on Wednesday night (March 15) as part of Michael Dorf’s charity series ‘Music Of’, which brings musicians together to celebrate the life and music of some of the world’s biggest stars.Also in attendance at Carnegie Hall this week were Graham Nash, Lyle Lovett, Bettye Lavette, Nancy Wilson, Bruce Hornsby, Macca’s former Wings bandmate Denny Laine and more.Patti Smith then appeared unannounced to cover ‘She’s Coming Home’, a highlight from ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’.Watch the rendition below.A post shared by Ron Ozer (@ronozer)A post shared by Craig Radel (@craigradel)Elsewhere, a new Paul McCartney documentary exploring the musician’s life following the breakup of The Beatles has been announced.Man On The Run is set to be directed by filmmaker Morgan Neville and will draw on “unprecedented access to a never-before-seen archive of Paul and Linda’s home videos and photos, as well as new interviews,” to chronicle the time between The Beatles’ breakup snd the rise of Wings in the ‘70s.According to a press release, Man On The Run will serve as “the definitive document of Paul’s emergence from the dissolution of the world’s biggest band and his triumphant creation of a second decade of musical milestones — a brilliant and prolific stretch.”“As a lifelong obsessive of all things McCartney, I’ve always felt that the 1970s were the great under-examined part of his story,” said Neville in a statement.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor The vibe for costumes in Amazon’s “Daisy Jones & the Six” ranges from boho chic to lots of denim and earthtones oozing ‘70s California vibes. Costume designer Denise Wingate spent many weekends scouring thrift shops and flea markets to build the wardrobe that consisted of over 1500 changes for the series based on the best-selling novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Riley Keough stars as Daisy Jones, the lead singer of the rock band The Six, which is shown as it climbs the music charts. Showrunner Scott Neustadter wanted the visuals to look “realistic and not costumey,” says Wingate, who started by putting together individual mood boards for the principals.

Daisy Jones & The Six aims to capture the 1970s through a documentary about a fictional rock band.Based on the book by Taylor Jenkins Reid, the music series follows the “precipitous rise and fall of a renowned rock band” led by charismatic singers Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) and Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin).The miniseries, presented as a documentary, sees the fictional band “reveal the truth” on why they decided to call it quits at the height of their fame.Daisy Jones & The Six features 24 original songs written for the series and recorded by the cast. The band’s debut album ‘Aurora’ is set to be released alongside the Amazon series on March 3, which features co-writing credits from Marcus Mumford, Phoebe Bridgers and Jackson Browne.The theme song for the show is ‘Dancing Barefoot’ by Patti Smith Group.

Madonna, Guns N’ Roses, Duran Duran, B-52s, Bruce Springsteen and many, many more.In fact, over 100 more.You wouldn’t believe it but A Flock of Seagulls, Rick Springfield, Slick Rick, Kenny G and Billy Idol are all performing live over the next few months as well.With that being said, it doesn’t matter if singling along to “Like A Virgin,” “Welcome to the Jungle” or “Born In The U.S.A.” sends you back — we’ve got ‘something for everyone.Below, you’ll find a comprehensive list of 107 rock, pop, hard rock, alternative rock, new wave, R&B, hip-hop, jazz, folk, country, punk and Latin concert options to choose from.Plus, if you scroll to the bottom we have the ultimate ’80s-tastic festival.So, if you want to re-live your Gen X glory days or catch your favorite group live for the first time, here’s who you have to see and everything you need to know about each and every tour from opening acts to tour dates to how to get tickets.Now, fire up the time machine (and grab your shoulder pads, leg warmers, and gold lamé leotards while you’re at it) — we’re going back to the ’80s.Runs March 2 through Dec. 10(co-headlining w/ Stevie Nicks on select dates as part of ‘Two Icons, One Night’ Tour)Runs March 10 through Nov. 10(co-headlining w/ Billy Joel on select dates as part of ‘Two Icons, One Night’ Tour)Runs March 10 through Nov. 10Runs April 16 through May 8Featuring Toto on select datesRuns March 1 through May 19Runs March 1 through April 8Runs March 1 through June 24Featuring John MayerRuns May 4 through July 16Runs April 27 through June 30Featuring Loverboy on select datesRuns March 24 through Sept. 30Runs March 30 through Sept. 3Featuring Iggy Pop, The Strokes, St. Vincent, Mars Volta, The Roots and moreRuns March 29 through July

Boygenius – the trio of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker – have been added to this year’s Tibet House US benefit concert bill.The event, which is set to go ahead tomorrow night (March 1) in New York’s Carnegie Hall, will also see performances from composer and event artistic director Philip Glass, New Order’s Bernard Sumner and Tom Chapman, Laurie Anderson, Gogol Bordello, and Arooj Aftab.Uma Thurman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, and Arden Wohl will be the event’s honorary chairs. You can purchase tickets here.This will be the third time Bridgers has performed at the event after previously playing in 2020 and 2021.Last year’s line-up was a virtual edition due to the coronavirus pandemic and featured performances from Keanu Reeves, Patti Smith, and Anderson again.Boygenius, who formed for a self-titled EP in 2018 and will release debut album ‘The Record’ next month, will play two UK shows this summer.On August 20, they will play a massive outdoor London show at Gunnersbury Park, joined by MUNA and Ethel Cain, with the latter also playing with them two days later at Halifax’s Piece Hall.Tickets for the gigs go on sale from 10am GMT on Friday (March 3).

Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea has announced that he is launching a new podcast.Entitled This Little Light, the 15-part series will see him sharing his musical memories with the likes of Rick Rubin, Cynthia Erivo, Thundercat, Patti Smith, and Margo Price on topics including first teachers, early influences, experiences, and how all these lessons shaped their creativity and careers.A portion of the proceeds from the podcast will go towards the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a non-profit music school and organisation that Flea founded in 2001.“I wanted to do This Little Light to benefit my music school, the Silverlake Conservatory of Music,” Flea said in a statement via Rolling Stone. “The idea behind it being music education, falling in love with music and embarking on a musical journey for your life.

Suede performed three songs for BBC Radio 2’s ‘Piano Room’ today (February 21), including a cover of Patti Smith‘s ‘Because The Night’.This year’s line-up for BBC Radio 2’s ‘Piano Room’ was announced last month, with award-winning artists due to perform with the BBC Concert Orchestra from January 30 to February 24.Each artist was asked to perform three tracks – a new song, one of their well-known tracks and a classic cover version from another artist.Suede performed live from Maida Vale today, where they played two of their own tracks – 1999 hit ‘She’s In Fashion’ and new single, ‘The Only Way I Can Love You’.Sharing the cover on Twitter, bassist Matt Osman wrote: “Our take on Patti Smith’s Because The Night with the fabulous BBC Orchestra”.The full performance will be available shortly on BBC iPlayer but you can watch the Patti Smith cover below.Ahead of their performance, Suede’s Brett Anderson said: “We’re delighted to be involved with Radio 2’s Piano Room. It’s so, so exciting to be able to freshly explore our songs old and new with the esteemed accompaniment of the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor In 2018, when industry vet David Massey was leaving his post at the helm of Island Records and returning to his longtime home at Sony Music, he originally was going to give his label a new name — possibly Work of Art, the name of the Sony-affiliated publishing and management company he also heads up. But when the possibility arose of relaunching Arista — the label founded by Clive Davis in 1974, now owned by Sony, which famously had a roster that ranged from Barry Manilow and Whitney Houston to Patti Smith — he changed his mind. “A friend had said to me, ‘Your Island is almost like the new Arista,’ which I took as a real compliment, because they had that incredibly eclectic, colorful, vibrant roster, and yet they were smaller and contained and could focus very intensely. We asked Clive and he was up for it, and it was simple as that.”

Television guitarist and vocalist Tom Verlaine has died, aged 73. His death was announced by Jesse Paris Smith, daughter of Verlaine’s long-time friend and collaborator Patti Smith, who said that he had passed away “after a brief illness”.Born Thomas Miller in 1949, he took the stage name Verlaine in reference to French poet Paul Verlaine.

Tom Verlaine, whose Television band was one of the more influential groups on the New York Punk scene in the 1980s, died today at 73 in Manhattan.

Patti Smith hosted a New York screening of Corsage last week, one of many showings since the Oscar-shortlisted Best International Feature contender premiered to a warm welcome in Cannes, where it won Best Performance, Un Certain Regard, for star Vicky Krieps as the Empress Elisabeth of Austria, Sisi for short. It’s fitting that Smith, royalty of the avant-garde, came out to support a film about an iconoclastic princess.

The Patti Smith track ‘Rock N Roll N****r’ has been quietly removed from the streaming services, Rolling Stone has spotted. The controversially titled track appears on her 1978 album ‘Easter’.Smith has defended her use of the n-word in the track over the years, insisting she was seeking to subvert the meaning of the racial slur.In a 1990s interview with Rolling Stone, she said: “It was the idea of taking a word that was specific and hurtful to people and obliterating it, blowing that apart and reinventing it so it was more like a badge of courage.

Robert Gordon, a rockabilly devotee and singer whose band the Tuff Darts was a staple of New York City’s CBGB and Max’s Kansas City punk scene of the 1970s, died today. He was 75.

Ethan Shanfeld If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Fender is giving guitar players worldwide a chance to channel their inner-rock star with a brand new line of guitars and basses modeled after the iconic instruments of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. The American Vintage II series guitars are now available to purchase on Fender’s website.

Patti Smith has announced a new book that was inspired by her official Instagram account, A Book Of Days.The book will comprise more than 365 photographs, capturing Smith’s “life on and off the road” over the course of one year. It’s due for release on November 15 via Penguin Random House (pre-order here).Smith, who penned the introduction for A Book Of Days, is set to embark on an accompanying 12-date book tour.

Any day now the renovated Chelsea Hotel will fully reopen, capping a drawn out process that has seen the grand edifice on the west side of Manhattan shrouded in netting and defaced by scaffolding for over a decade.

EXCLUSIVE: Hari Nef (Transparent) is set to portray transgender icon and Andy Warhol superstar Candy Darling in the as-yet-untitled biopic penned by Transparent writer Stephanie Kornick. Deadline exclusively announced the project in 2019.

Roy Trakin Creem magazine started publishing as a regional monthly in Detroit in 1969, but didn’t go national until 1971, with a firmly anti-establishment bias that took aim at the likes of Jann Wenner’s Rolling Stone and Paul Williams’ Crawdaddy for eminence in the heady early days of rock criticism. Among its earliest writers were certified pioneers like Dave Marsh, the dark rumblings of the late Lester Bangs and Nick Tosches, and rock-crit icons Greil Marcus, Robert Christgau, Cameron Crowe, John Mendelsohn, Lisa Robinson, Lenny Kaye, Wayne Robins, Ben Edmonds and Sylvie Simmons.

“America’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll Magazine” is back with a fresh print edition, as well as a newly available digital archive — and a bigger plan to become its own entertainment company.The revival is the passion product of JJ Kramer, the son of the magazine’s founder, the late Barry Kramer. “When CREEM ceased publication in 1989, it left a massive void that has never been filled, though many have tried,” JJ told The Post. “That’s why CREEM’s return is so significant; its unapologetic and wickedly funny sensibilities have been sorely missed by fans and bands alike.