Patti Smith on Discovering Her Biological Father
Patti Smith, celebrating the 50th anniversary of her debut album Horses, recently released a new memoir titled Bread Of Angels. The book, more than a decade in the making, explores her personal and artistic journey — from her working-class roots in Philadelphia and South Jersey to her years of public silence.
In the memoir, Smith shares a deeply personal story about uncovering the true identity of her biological father. The revelation began in 2002 when her mother mentioned during a phone call that she had "a story about genetics".
"She had a story for me about genetics," Smith recalls in the book.
When Smith later attempted to revisit the subject during a hospital visit, her mother, recovering from a fall, appeared unable to continue the conversation. A decade later, in 2012, Patti and her sister Linda took a DNA test that revealed they were actually half-sisters and did not share Grant Smith as their father.
According to publisher Bloomsbury Books UK, Bread Of Angels traces Smith’s early years, revealing how the first sparks of creativity, love, and self-discovery shaped her as an artist. The memoir was published on November 4, 2025.
Author’s summary
In her candid new memoir Bread Of Angels, Patti Smith reflects on family secrets, identity, and the long search for truth that redefined her understanding of origin and self.