Night of Smiths
Patti & her kids will play tribute to her husband, Fred, Thursday
IN 1978, Bruce Springsteen was having trouble finishing a promising song called “Because the Night,” when his producer Jimmy Iovine suggested he ask Patti Smith to work on it.
At the time, Smith was romantically involved with Fred “Sonic” Smith — exguitarist for Detroit rockers the MC5. Their relationship was long distance, so they talked on the phone. One night, while waiting for Fred to call, Patti wrote the second verse with the lines, “love is a ring, the telephone.” The song would go on to become her biggest hit, reaching No. 13.
It’s just one of the key moments that Fred played in Patti’s life, and it’s sure to be emotional when Patti, now 70, performs the song at Central Park SummerStage on Thursday for a concert billed as a tribute to Fred.
The Smiths were married in 1980, moved to Detroit and raised their children, Jesse and Jackson, there before Fred died in 1994. The show will feature appearances from their kids, now 30 and 35, respectively.
“It was not something specifically planned, it was a positive piece of fate,” Patti says of the tribute via e-mail. “The band was asked to play Central Park on Sept. 14, which is Fred’s birthday and it seemed natural that we center the concert around him.”
While living in Detroit, their legacies grew as bands such as REM, U2 and Nirvana rose to fame, all citing Patti’s solo work and MC5’s politically charged rock and roll as influences.
Their 1988 album “Dream of Life,” which came together while Patti was pregnant with Jesse, starts with the rousing “People Have the Power.”
“This song has been performed by many activist groups, as well as Eddie Vedder, Michael Stipe, U2, the Dixie Chicks and Bruce Springsteen,” says Patti. “I know he [Fred] would be very moved by that and its continued relevancy. He is always with us when we perform it.”