Dancing Barefoot: The Patti Smith Story

"Dancing Barefoot" is the full and true story of Patti Smith, widely acknowledged as one of the most significant American artists of the rock n roll era, a performer whose audience and appeal reach far beyond the parameters of rock.An acclaimed poet, a respected artist, and a figurehead for many liberal political causes, Patti Smith soared from an ugly-duckling childhood in postwar New Jersey to become queen of the New York arts scene in the 1970s. This book traces the brilliant trajectory of her career, including the fifteen reclusive years she spent in Detroit in the 1980s and 90s, as well as her triumphant return to New York. But it is primarily the story of a performer growing up in New York City in the early and mid-1970s."Dancing Barefoot" is a measured, accurate, and enthusiastic account of Smith s career. Guided by interviews with those who have known her including Ivan Kral, Tom Verlaine, Richard Lloyd, John Cale, and Jim Carroll it relies most of all on Patti s own words. This is Patti s story, told as she might have seen it, had she been on the outside looking in."

About the Author :
Dave Thompson is the author of "London's Burning: True Adventures on the Front Lines of Punk 1976-1977," "I Hate New Music: A Classic Rock Manifesto," and biographies of David Bowie, Kurt Cobain, andEric Clapton.His writing has appeared in Rolling Stone, Spin, Mojo, Q, Record Collector, and many other publications."

Review :
"["Dancing Barefoot"] must be on the shelf of every serious Patti Smith fan, indeed anyone fascinated with classic '70s rock." "PopMatters.com"" "[The book] bring[s] a deeper insight to the artist s motivations and a great deal of much-needed perspective on the era in which she blossomed..."Dancing Barefoot "will broaden the understanding of even the most ardent Patti Smith fans. "Glide Magazine"" "Between Thompson's descriptive storytelling and interview snippers (dating from the late '60s to present) with peers, members of the Patti Smith Group and Smith herself, her story emerges both vivid and real" "American Songwriter Magazine"" "From raucous and indelible performances to her retreat to raise a family in Detroit to crushing tragedies to her glorious resurgence, Thompson reveals Smith's profound impulse to celebrate, memorialize, and inspire others. More comprehensive portraits will owe a debt to Thompson's blueprint biography." "Booklist"" "Thompson's vivid re-creation of the music scene in New York City in the 1970s captures an exhilarating moment in music history." "Publishers Weekly"" Dave Thompson expertly captures the mood and magic of the periodthere were moments when I felt as though I were reliving a part of my life, not simply reading a book about it. Ivan Kral, Patti Smith Group" Dave Thompson knows how to tell a gripping, carefully researched story. This one is about a young woman from the swamps of New Jersey who became an artist s muse, then a rock star, then a wife and mother, then an award-winning author, andmost importantlyone of the major American poetic champions of her generation. Stephen Davis, author of "Hammer of the Gods "and "Walk This Way"" Dave Thompson made me love and understand Patti more than any other writer ever did, including Patti herself. But then again, he did it by using mostly her own words. Brilliant! Cherry Vanilla, author of "Lick Me"" "Dave Thompson expertly captures the mood and magic of the period--there were moments when I felt as though I were reliving a part of my life, not simply reading a book about it." --Ivan Kral, Patti Smith Group "Dave Thompson knows how to tell a gripping, carefully researched story. This one is about a young woman from the swamps of New Jersey who became an artist's muse, then a rock star, then a wife and mother, then an award-winning author, and--most importantly--one of the major American poetic champions of her generation." --Stephen Davis, author of "Hammer of the Gods "and "Walk This Way" "Dave Thompson made me love and understand Patti more than any other writer ever did, including Patti herself. But then again, he did it by using mostly her own words. Brilliant!" --Cherry Vanilla, author of "Lick Me" Praise for Dave Thompson's "London's Burning" "[London's Burning imparts] an unrivaled sense of immediacy . . . and all the energy, passion, and exuberance the period represents to this day." --"Goldmine"