AUDIO: Patti Smith (1978)
John Tobler, Rock's Backpages audio, Spring 1978
The poet/rocker on her fascination with the stars who died young, from Rimbaud to Hendrix; trying to communicate with God; her stage fall; feeling the presence of Jim Morrison in Paris; her love of UK punk and the Clash; how she and Lenny Kaye set out to change things; starting her new album, Easter; keeping rock'n'roll alive, with her guitar as her main weapon; on the death of Elvis, and her optimism for 1978 and the future.
Read a transcript of this interview.
