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*[[hard rock]]
*[[hard rock]]
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*[[psychedelic rock]]
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*[[proto-punk]]
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'''Frederick Dewey Smith''' (September 14, 1948<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/the-MC5 |title=The MC5 |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |access-date=September 15, 2017 }}</ref>{{efn|Some sources show 1949 as Smith's year of birth.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/fred-sonic-smith-mn0000176087/biography |title=Fred "Sonic" Smith |first=Mark |last=Deming |author-link=Mark Deming |publisher=[[Allmusic]] |access-date=September 15, 2017 }}</ref>}} – November 4, 1994), known professionally as '''Fred''' "'''Sonic'''" '''Smith''', was an American guitarist, best known as a member of the influential Detroit rock band [[MC5]].<ref name="obituary">{{Citation
'''Frederick Dewey Smith''' (September 14, 1948 – November 4, 1994), known professionally as '''Fred''' "'''Sonic'''" '''Smith''', was an American guitarist and member of the rock band [[MC5]]. He married and raised two children with poet and fellow rock musician [[Patti Smith]]. The couple also collaborated musically.
⚫
| last = Strauss
⚫
| first = Neil
⚫
| author-link = Neil Strauss
⚫
| title = Fred (Sonic) Smith, 44, Guitarist With Rock Bands of 3 Decades
⚫
| newspaper = The New York Times
⚫
| date = November 9, 1994
⚫
| url = https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/09/obituaries/fred-sonic-smith-44-guitarist-with-rock-bands-of-3-decades.html
| access-date = January 14, 2011}}</ref> At age 31, he married and raised a family with poet and fellow rock musician [[Patti Smith]]. The couple collaborated musically, and raised two children together.


==Early life==
==Early life==
Smith was born at his family's residence on Broad Branch in the Harts Creek area of [[Lincoln County, West Virginia]].<ref name="WVMHOF">{{Citation
Frederick Dewey Smith was born on September 14, 1948<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/the-MC5 |title=The MC5 |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |access-date=September 15, 2017 }}</ref>{{efn|Some sources show 1949 as Smith's year of birth.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/fred-sonic-smith-mn0000176087/biography |title=Fred "Sonic" Smith |first=Mark |last=Deming |publisher=[[Allmusic]] |access-date=September 15, 2017 }}</ref>}} at his family's residence on Broad Branch in the [[Big Harts Creek]] area of [[Lincoln County, West Virginia]].<ref name="WVMHOF">{{Citation
| url = https://www.wvmusichalloffame.com/hof_sonic.html
| url = https://www.wvmusichalloffame.com/hof_sonic.html
| title = Fred "Sonic" Smith
| title = Fred "Sonic" Smith
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| date = 2018
| date = 2018
| website = West Virginia Music Hall of Fame
| website = West Virginia Music Hall of Fame
| access-date = June 17, 2020}}</ref> He was deoivered by his ggrandfather in the home's kitchen during an electrical storm.<ref name="WVMHOF" />
| access-date = June 17, 2020}}</ref> His mother gave birth to him in the home's kitchen during an electrical storm.<ref name="WVMHOF" />


==Career==
==Career==
Smith was a guitarist with the [[MC5]] and later went on to form [[Sonic's Rendezvous Band]], which released one single, "City Slang", during Smith's lifetime.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sonicsrendezvousband.net/band.html |title=Lost and found: a short history |access-date=August 3, 2008 |last=Shimamoto |first=Ken |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080802111717/http://www.sonicsrendezvousband.net/band.html |archive-date=August 2, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1988 he collaborated with [[Patti Smith]] on her album ''[[Dream of Life]]''.
Known professionally as Fred "Sonic" Smith,<ref name="obituary" /> he was a guitarist with the [[MC5]] and later went on to form [[Sonic's Rendezvous Band]], which released one single, "City Slang", during Smith's lifetime.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sonicsrendezvousband.net/band.html |title=Lost and found: a short history |access-date=August 3, 2008 |last=Shimamoto |first=Ken |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080802111717/http://www.sonicsrendezvousband.net/band.html |archive-date=August 2, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 1988 he collaborated with [[Patti Smith]] on her album ''[[Dream of Life]]''.


In 2018, Smith was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame<ref name="WVMHOF" /> alongside [[Hasil Adkins]] and [[Ann Magnuson]].<ref name="WVMHOF2018">{{Citation
In 2018, Smith was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame<ref name="WVMHOF" /> alongside [[Hasil Adkins]] and [[Ann Magnuson]].<ref name="WVMHOF2018">{{Citation
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| access-date = June 17, 2020}}</ref>
| access-date = June 17, 2020}}</ref>


===Influence===
==Influence and legacy==
In 2003, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine ranked Smith #93 in its list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/5937559/page/43 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610042756/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/5937559/page/43 |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 10, 2008 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=September 18, 2003 |access-date=May 2, 2009}}</ref>
In 2003, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine ranked Smith #93 in its list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/5937559/page/43 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610042756/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/5937559/page/43 |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 10, 2008 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=September 18, 2003 |access-date=May 2, 2009}}</ref>


Patti Smith has spoken of how Fred Smith encouraged her writing, crediting his influence on a number of the songs she released after his death, as well as the prose works she created during their time together in Michigan. He was the inspiration for her song "[[Frederick (song)|Frederick]]",<ref name="mcleese" /> a single from her 1979 album ''[[Wave (Patti Smith Group album)|Wave]]''. Her 1996 album ''[[Gone Again]]'' features several songs inspired by, co-written by, or in tribute to, her late husband.
[[Patti Smith]] has spoken of how Fred Smith encouraged her writing, crediting his influence on a number of the songs she released after his death, as well as the prose works she created during their time together in [[Michigan]]. He was the inspiration for her song "[[Frederick (song)|Frederick]]",<ref name="mcleese" /> a single from her 1979 album ''[[Wave (Patti Smith Group album)|Wave]]''. Her 1996 album ''[[Gone Again]]'' features several songs inspired by, co-written by, or in tribute to, her late husband.


The band [[Sonic Youth]] took its name from Smith's nickname.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Azerrad |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Azerrad |title=[[Our Band Could Be Your Life]] |location=New York |publisher=Little, Brown |year=2001 |isbn=0-316-78753-1|page=236 }}</ref>
The band [[Sonic Youth]] took its name from Smith's nickname.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Azerrad |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Azerrad |title=[[Our Band Could Be Your Life]] |location=New York |publisher=Little, Brown |year=2001 |isbn=0-316-78753-1|page=236 }}</ref>


Inducted into West Virginia Music Hall of Fame 2018. Award given by Lenny Kaye accepted by Patti Smith, Jesse Smith and Jackson Smith.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wvmusichalloffame.com/hof_sonic.html|title=Fred "Sonic" Smith|website=Wvmusichalloffame.com|access-date=August 5, 2020}}</ref>
Inducted into West Virginia Music Hall of Fame 2018. Award given by Lenny Kaye and accepted by Patti Smith, Jesse Smith and Jackson Smith.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wvmusichalloffame.com/hof_sonic.html|title=Fred "Sonic" Smith|website=Wvmusichalloffame.com|access-date=August 5, 2020}}</ref>


==Personal life==
Smith married Sigrid Dobat; their hey only child died of [[Sudden infant death syndrome|SIDS]].
Smith first married Sigrid Dobat; their only child died of [[Sudden infant death syndrome|SIDS]].


While still married, he met and began an affair with singer and poet [[Patti Smith]].<ref name="mcleese">{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/kickoutjams00mcle | url-access=registration |
While still married, he met and began an affair with singer and poet [[Patti Smith]].<ref name="mcleese">{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/kickoutjams00mcle | url-access=registration |
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publisher= Continuum International Publishing Group }}</ref> Patti Smith's guitarist, [[Lenny Kaye]], introduced Fred and Patti before a show they were both playing. The two subsequently married in 1980.<ref name="mcleese" />
publisher= Continuum International Publishing Group }}</ref> Patti Smith's guitarist, [[Lenny Kaye]], introduced Fred and Patti before a show they were both playing. The two subsequently married in 1980.<ref name="mcleese" />


The Smiths had two children together, a son, Jackson (born 1982) and a daughter, Jesse (born 1987). Jackson, a guitarist, was married to [[Meg White]], formerly of indie band [[The White Stripes]]).<ref>{{cite news | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8069552.stm | publisher= BBC | date= May 27, 2009 | title= White Stripes drummer ties knot | access-date= October 15, 2012}}</ref> Jesse is a pianist. Both have performed on stage with their mother and the rest of the with othe Patti Smith Group.
The Smiths had two children together, a son, Jackson (born 1982), and a daughter, Jesse (born 1987). Jackson, a guitarist, was married to [[Meg White]], formerly of the indie band [[The White Stripes]].<ref>{{cite news | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8069552.stm | publisher= BBC | date= May 27, 2009 | title= White Stripes drummer ties knot | access-date= October 15, 2012}}</ref> Jesse is a pianist. Both have performed on stage with their mother and the rest of the Patti Smith Group.


==Death==
In 1994, Fred Smith died in [[Detroit]]. He had been in poor health for years, and succumbed to [[heart failure]].<ref name="obituary" />
On November 4, 1994, Fred Smith died in [[Detroit]], at age 46. He had been in poor health for years and succumbed to [[heart failure]].<ref name="obituary">{{Citation
⚫
| last = Strauss
⚫
| first = Neil
⚫
| author-link = Neil Strauss
⚫
| title = Fred (Sonic) Smith, 44, Guitarist With Rock Bands of 3 Decades
⚫
| newspaper = The New York Times
⚫
| date = November 9, 1994
⚫
| url = https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/09/obituaries/fred-sonic-smith-44-guitarist-with-rock-bands-of-3-decades.html
| access-date = January 14, 2011}}</ref>


== Musical equipment ==
== Musical equipment ==
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{{MC5}}
{{MC5}}
{{2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|state=collapsed}}
{{West Virginia Music Hall of Fame}}
{{West Virginia Music Hall of Fame}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:MC5 members]]
[[Category:MC5 members]]
[[Category:Patti Smith Group members]]
[[Category:Patti Smith Group members]]
[[Category:Protopunk musicians]]
[[Category:American protopunk musicians]]
[[Category:Guitarists from West Virginia]]
[[Category:Guitarists from West Virginia]]
[[Category:Rhythm guitarists]]
[[Category:American rhythm guitarists]]
[[Category:People from St. Clair Shores, Michigan]]
[[Category:People from St. Clair Shores, Michigan]]
[[Category:20th-century American musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American musicians]]
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[[Category:Sonic's Rendezvous Band members]]
[[Category:Sonic's Rendezvous Band members]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:Songwriters from West Virginia]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]

Latest revision as of 08:21, 19 July 2024

Fred "Sonic" Smith
Background information
Birth nameFrederick Dewey Smith
Born(1948-09-14)September 14, 1948
Lincoln County, West Virginia, U.S.
DiedNovember 4, 1994(1994-11-04) (aged 46)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • bass
Years active1964–1988
Websitesonicsrendezvousband.net

Frederick Dewey Smith (September 14, 1948 – November 4, 1994), known professionally as Fred "Sonic" Smith, was an American guitarist and member of the rock band MC5. He married and raised two children with poet and fellow rock musician Patti Smith. The couple also collaborated musically.

Early life

[edit]

Frederick Dewey Smith was born on September 14, 1948[1][a] at his family's residence on Broad Branch in the Big Harts Creek area of Lincoln County, West Virginia.[3] His mother gave birth to him in the home's kitchen during an electrical storm.[3]

Career

[edit]

Known professionally as Fred "Sonic" Smith,[4] he was a guitarist with the MC5 and later went on to form Sonic's Rendezvous Band, which released one single, "City Slang", during Smith's lifetime.[5]

In 1988 he collaborated with Patti Smith on her album Dream of Life.

In 2018, Smith was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame[3] alongside Hasil Adkins and Ann Magnuson.[6]

Influence and legacy

[edit]

In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Smith #93 in its list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.[7]

Patti Smith has spoken of how Fred Smith encouraged her writing, crediting his influence on a number of the songs she released after his death, as well as the prose works she created during their time together in Michigan. He was the inspiration for her song "Frederick",[8] a single from her 1979 album Wave. Her 1996 album Gone Again features several songs inspired by, co-written by, or in tribute to, her late husband.

The band Sonic Youth took its name from Smith's nickname.[9]

Inducted into West Virginia Music Hall of Fame 2018. Award given by Lenny Kaye and accepted by Patti Smith, Jesse Smith and Jackson Smith.[10]

Personal life

[edit]

Smith first married Sigrid Dobat; their only child died of SIDS.

While still married, he met and began an affair with singer and poet Patti Smith.[8] Patti Smith's guitarist, Lenny Kaye, introduced Fred and Patti before a show they were both playing. The two subsequently married in 1980.[8]

The Smiths had two children together, a son, Jackson (born 1982), and a daughter, Jesse (born 1987). Jackson, a guitarist, was married to Meg White, formerly of the indie band The White Stripes.[11] Jesse is a pianist. Both have performed on stage with their mother and the rest of the Patti Smith Group.

Death

[edit]

On November 4, 1994, Fred Smith died in Detroit, at age 46. He had been in poor health for years and succumbed to heart failure.[4]

Musical equipment

[edit]
Guitars
Amplification

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Some sources show 1949 as Smith's year of birth.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The MC5". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
  2. ^ Deming, Mark. "Fred "Sonic" Smith". Allmusic. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "Fred "Sonic" Smith", West Virginia Music Hall of Fame, 2018, retrieved June 17, 2020
  4. ^ a b Strauss, Neil (November 9, 1994), "Fred (Sonic) Smith, 44, Guitarist With Rock Bands of 3 Decades", The New York Times, retrieved January 14, 2011
  5. ^ Shimamoto, Ken. "Lost and found: a short history". Archived from the original on August 2, 2008. Retrieved August 3, 2008.
  6. ^ "Hall of Fame Inductees, Class of 2018", West Virginia Music Hall of Fame Inductees, Class of 2018, 2018, retrieved June 17, 2020
  7. ^ "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 18, 2003. Archived from the original on June 10, 2008. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
  8. ^ a b c McLeese, Don (2005). Kick out the Jams. Continuum International Publishing Group. pp. 113. ISBN 978-0-8264-1660-5.
  9. ^ Azerrad, Michael (2001). Our Band Could Be Your Life. New York: Little, Brown. p. 236. ISBN 0-316-78753-1.
  10. ^ "Fred "Sonic" Smith". Wvmusichalloffame.com. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  11. ^ "White Stripes drummer ties knot". BBC. May 27, 2009. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Fred_%22Sonic%22_Smith&oldid=1235437724"