Punk rocker Patti Smith was presented the ceremonial “Key to New York City” on Monday by Mayor Bill de Blasio, who also gave her a cupcake for her upcoming 75th birthday. At his daily briefing, the mayor said he’s a longtime fan of Smith, who rose to prominence in the city’s Punk scene in the 1970s.
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De Blasio said Punk was a “bastion of truth telling” and that Smith has “an ability to cut through all the swirl around us and speak some more profound truths.” The mayor said the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has earned her title as the "the godmother of punk."
“She has done so much to light the way, and she’s done it here in New York City, and was a quintessential member of that musical blossoming that happened in the '70s in this city and beyond,” de Blasio said.
“I love this,” Smith said of the key after the mayor presented it to her. “I know that we don’t work to gather accolades, but I’m the kind of person that if I get one, I really love it.”
The singer-songwriter said she came to the city in 1967 from rural South Jersey with “just a few dollars in my pocket, nowhere to stay, no real prospects.” Smith said New York City “embraced me” both when she arrived the first time and again when she returned from Detroit after the death of her husband, Fred “Sonic” Smith, in 1994.
Smith said the city encouraged her personal and artistic growth over the years. “I wish I could give New York City the key to me, because that’s how I feel about our city,” she said.
De Blasio also presented Smith with a cupcake for her 75th birthday, which is on Thursday.
Smith and fellow band member Lenny Kaye then performed “Ghost Dance,” which the mayor mentioned was among his favorite songs of hers. Watch above.
Smith is the third person to receive a key to the city in the past week. Sen. Chuck Schumer and filmmaker Spike Lee received them last week.
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