Patricia Lee Smith was born in Chicago in 1946. She is a poet, author, singer, painter, and photographer. She is not to be confused with Patty Smyth, the lead singer of the band Scandal. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Smith lived with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, with whom she had an intense but tumultuous romantic relationship. Their connection is the subject of her first memoir, Just Kids. Around the same time, Smith met and befriended Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs, two major Beat poets. In the 1970s, Smith wrote and performed music, most notably her debut album, Horses. In 1980, Smith married Fred “Sonic” Smith, with whom she had a son, Jackson, and a daughter, Jesse. For years, she lived with her family in Detroit, performing only rarely.

In 1994, Fred died of heart failure, followed by Smith’s brother, Todd, who died of a stroke. Smith spent the next few years focusing on music once again. She also became more invested in photography. Smith has been the subject of several documentaries, and she has received many awards for her life’s work. She has been publishing plays, poetry, and books since the early 1970s.