Patti Smith Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

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.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTo those who know, Patti Smith, pioneering punk poetess and rock star without peer or precedent, requires no introduction. But times change, generations succeed generations, and sometimes the world needs to be reminded of things like “Why Patti Smith Matters,” which is exactly the book that veteran music journalist Caryn Rose published yesterday via University of Texas Press. Rose, whose work has appeared in Pitchfork, Salon, the Village Voice, Vulture, Backstreets, the Guardian and Variety, explains, “I was eager to take on the formidable task of chronicling Patti Smith’s career because aside from Smith’s own work, the existing scholarship didn’t possess the kind of informed, careful perspective of her life and art that it deserves.” The book combines original research and primary sources — one of whom is Bruce Springsteen, who gave Rose an exclusive interview on the making of their 1978 hit song, “Because the Night.” A section of the book focusing on the song appears below.

Grace Jones-curated Meltdown festival 2022 is just around the corner, and NME has tickets to select gigs to be won. See below for your chance to win.With a line-up hand-picked by the iconic Grace Jones, this year’s bill features the likes of John Grant, Sky Ferreira, Peaches, Hot Chip, Greentea Peng, Blancmange, Skunk Anansie, Nova Twins, Honey Dijon and many more – as well as two performances from Jones herself.Jones follows in the footsteps of the likes of David Bowie, The Cure’s Robert Smith, Yoko Ono, Patti Smith, David Byrne, John Peel and Ray Davies in being asked to curate Meltdown at London’s Southbank Centre.“In the face of adversity, there is no pandemic in the world that will stop me from curating the Meltdown festival,” said Jones of the upcoming run of shows.

Skunk Anansie frontwoman Skin has told NME about the “honour” of being asked to play the Grace Jones-curated Meltdown festival 2022, and revealed the memorable request letter that the icon sent her.Having been handpicked by Jones to perform at this June’s Meltdown festival in London alongside the likes of John Grant, Sky Ferreira, Peaches, Hot Chip and Greentea Peng, Skin described the invitation as “an honour”.“I was aghast because we were the first band she asked,” Skin told NME. “She wrote us a letter saying: ‘If you don’t do it, I’m going to break your neck!’ Something like that! It was a typical Grace Jones letter and it cracked me up.”In the ‘90s, Skin resented constant comparisons to Jones, considering it reductive to equate the two trailblazers because they are both outspoken black female performers.

CELINE by Hedi Slimane dress, complete with hair carefully shaped into a structural fringe adorned with floating pearls, actor Devon Ross looked every bit the consummate Hollywood superstar as she floated up the Cannes red carpet and into the premiere for mini-series Irma Vep, in which she stars. To watch her on this momentous occasion, you'd never know she'd not done this a thousand times before and that this was not just first proper premiere, but also her inauguration into the acting world. While you won't have seen her on the big screen yet, you'll likely still recognise her face.

Elvis Costello, Patti Smith and Mavis Staples will be among the dignitaries expected in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this weekend for the opening of the Bob Dylan Center, the museum and archive celebrating the Nobel laureate's work. Dylan himself won't be among them, unless he surprises everyone. The center's subject and namesake has an open invitation to come anytime, although his absence seems perfectly in character, said Steven Jenkins, the center's director.

Bob Dylan‘s classic song ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ has been released to celebrate his 60 years as a recording artist – you can watch the clip below.The arrival of the video today (May 6) is accompanied by the launch of a new Dylan60 microsite, which is housing the clip along with an interactive Augmented Reality (AR) lens filter.‘Subterranean Homesick Blues 2022’ pays homage to Dylan’s iconic video for his 1965 track, which formed the opening sequence of D.A. Pennebaker’s Don’t Look Back documentary.Inspired by the handwritten cue cards that Dylan reels off in the original clip, a host of famous names and creative figures have now contributed a set of new visuals for this updated remake, which you can watch below.The likes of Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, Noel Fielding, Jim Jarmusch, John Squire, Bobby Gillespie, Julian House, Zep, Cey Adams, Francis Cabrel, Wim Wenders, Anthony Burrill, Naoki Urasawa, Michael Joo and Azazel Jacobs have all visually reinterpreted or redesigned a cue card for ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues 2022’.Dylan fans can also experience the aforementioned AR lens filter on Instagram and Snapchat, allowing users to try on a virtual pair of Dylan’s Ray-Ban sunglasses while a select 10-second loop, ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues 2022’, plays in the lenses.You can visit the newly launched Dylan60 site by heading here.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorMemoirs seem to be the perfect genre for spending time listening to audiobooks. Even more than transporting fiction or informative non-fiction, there’s something about listening to highly personal confessions in the privacy of your car or on a long walk that makes you feel like you have an intimate relationship with the author.Celebrity memoirs can be a wild ride through a performer’s ups and downs, but just as compelling are books from people who have had extraordinary lives like “The Glass Castle’s” Jeanette Walls — or are just extraordinarily entertaining at recounting their everyday lives, like David Sedaris.Many of the best memoirs hinge on the breakthrough moment — the turning point when a nobody starts to become a somebody for the first time.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticWith its grand opening less than two weeks away, the Bob Dylan Center has announced Steven Jenkins as its director. He’s moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to oversee the museum’s exhibitions, public programs and daily operations, following more than three decades of work with nonprofits in the San Francisco Bay areaThe hiring announcement comes as the BDC prepares for an opening weekend May 5-8 that will include a gala invitational dinner and celebratory concerts by Elvis Costello, Mavis Staples and Patti Smith.Said Jenkins in a statement, “As an avid listener and fascinated follower of Dylan’s every surprising and illuminating turn, his work has brought me a lifetime of aesthetic pleasures, confounding challenges and profound joy.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThere is exactly one person on earth who could be serenaded on his 90th birthday by (in order) Barry Manilow, Patti Smith, Dionne Warwick, Kenny G, Art Garfunkel, Earth Wind & Fire, Bruce Springsteen and Alicia Keys — and have the whole evening capped off by a brilliant Mark Ronson-helmed “megamix” of great songs from across that birthday boy’s 60-plus-year career. The answer is so obvious we’re not even going to bother.Yes, Clive Davis’ 90th birthday party, held Wednesday night at the memorably named Cipriani South Street at Casa Cipriani in Lower Manhattan, was truly one for the ages.

Patti Smith has said she has plans to release “one more album”, with the 75-year-old punk poet laureate revealing she’s been working on new material toward a 12th studio effort.In an interview with The Guardian published today (April 1), the esteemed singer said, “I do have plans” when asked if there would be a follow-up to her latest album, 2012’s ‘Banga’.“I’ve written a lot of songs,” Smith said. “I’d like to do one more album and my record company, Columbia, has very generously left the door open.”With four albums to her name, including 1975’s historic ‘Horses’, Smith went into semi-retirement back in 1980 to focus on raising her children.

Manori Ravindran International EditorMagnolia Pictures has snapped up the North American rights to a Martin Scorsese executive-produced documentary about New York’s historic Chelsea Hotel.Amélie van Elmbt and Maya Duverdier’s “Dreaming Walls,” about the Manhattan institution and its controversial renovation, world premiered in the Panorama section of the Berlinale in February. Magnolia plans to release the film in theaters and on-demand this summer.The Chelsea Hotel, an icon of 1960s counterculture, was a haven for famous artists and intellectuals including Patti Smith, Janis Joplin and the superstars of Warhol’s Factory.

Keanu Reeves‘ films have reportedly been pulled from several streaming services in China.The Los Angeles Times reports that Reeves’ films have been removed from major streaming services in the country such as iQiyi, Tencent Video, Bilibili, and Xigua Video.Deleted films on iQiyi include The Matrix trilogy, Speed, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Something’s Gotta Give and The Lake House.The Los Angeles Times report that at least 19 films were removed from Tencent Video while Youku and Migu Video now house only Toy Story 4, in which Reeves voices a character.NME has reached out to representatives of Reeves for comment.It comes after Reeves attended at the 35th annual Tibet House Benefit Concert on March 3. The actor participated in the virtual concert alongside Laurie Anderson, Patti Smith, Cyndi Lauper, and Iggy Pop.The event once again featured artistic direction from composer Philip Glass, who was celebrating his 85th birthday at the event. All proceeds from the benefit went to Tibet House US.In the past, China has blacklisted many high profile figures who have supported Tibet or the Dalai Lama, its former head of state.

Zack Sharf Movies starring Keanu Reeves have reportedly been scrubbed from China streaming platforms such as Tencent Video, Youku and Migu Video following the actor’s public support for Tibet earlier this year. Reeves was announced in January as a performer for the 35th annual Tibet House Benefit Concert alongside Laurie Anderson, Patti Smith, Cyndi Lauper and Iggy Pop. Philip Glass serves as the benefit’s artistic director.

Tom Grennan has cancelled his upcoming shows in Russia and Ukraine over the ongoing conflict in the region.Posting on Twitter, Grennan made the announcement with a statement, while sharing the hashtag #StandWithUkraine. He was due to play Moscow’s Izvestia Hall on July 4 and Kyiv’s Atlas Festival on July 6.He wrote: “In light of current events, I will be cancelling my shows in Russia and Ukraine which were due to take place in Summer 2022.“My thoughts are with the brave people of Ukraine, and all those who oppose this devastating violence and seek peace.”Grennan follows a number of artists who have cancelled shows in the region in recent weeks.

Patti Smith, Gogol Bordello, The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn, Suzanne Vega and more in attendance.Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hutz, who was born in Ukraine, co-hosted the benefit at NYC’s City Winery, to raise funds for financial and humanitarian relief in the country. In total, $130,000 was raised, with proceeds going to Come Back Alive, a foundation that provides support to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and Care.org.Among the funds raised, there was a $50,000 donation by Yoko Ono and Sean Ono Lennon to Doctors Without Borders.