Patti Smith news stories on Newser

Patti Smith Snags National Book Award

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 06:43:19 CST

Patti Smith was the darling of last night's National Book Award ceremony, where she won the nonfiction prize for her memoir about her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe, Just Kid s . "I dreamed of having a book of my own, of writing one that I could put on a shelf," she...

McQueen's Ex: Enough With the Fake Crying

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 06:58:48 CST

Just days after celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe was too “distraught” over Alexander McQueen’s death to attend a Project Runway fashion show, the designer’s ex-partner called out fashion world “hangers-on” for their meaningless condolences. “It's been fashion, fashion, fashion,” George Forsyth tells the Daily Mail , “but what about him as a...

Poet, Punk Rocker Jim Carroll Dead at 60

Jane Yager — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 05:11:00 CDT

Poet and punk rocker Jim Carroll, 60, died of a heart attack Friday in his Manhattan home, the New York Times reports. Carroll is best known for The Basketball Diaries , a book about his experiences as a heroin-addicted basketball star in a New York City private school. A consummate New...

MoMa Shines Light on NYC's Punk Revolution

Matt Cantor — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:35:01 CDT

New York’s Museum of Modern Art is showcasing the gritty glamour of the city’s 1970s and early ’80s music scene, where punk, New Wave, DIY, and noise rock ruled, Rolling Stone reports. New Yorkers were feeling alienated—the city was bankrupt in 1975; President Ford told it to “drop dead"—...

Punk Rock Impresario Kristal Dead

Jonas Oransky — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 13:40:39 CDT

Hilly Kristal, whose iconic club CBGB was the epicenter of American punk rock, died yesterday at 75 after a battle with lung cancer. The New York venue—fully titled CBGB & OMFUG, or "Country, Bluegrass and Blues & Other Music For Uplifting Gourmandisers"—showcased the Ramones, the Talking Heads and...

Put Your Best Line Forward

Sophie Goldstein — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 12:30:32 CDT

It's good to lead off with a bang, especially if your business is song lyrics. Spinner.com lists the 25 best opening lines: "She's a very kinky girl" (Rick James, "Superfreak") "I was born in a cross-fire hurricane" (The Rolling Stones, "Jumpin' Jack Flash") "Hey, ho, let's go!" (The Ramones,...