Patti Smith reveals in new memoir how she learned who her biological father was

Patti Smith Discovers Biological Father with Daughter's Help

Punk rock icon Patti Smith did not know the identity of her biological father until she received unexpected help from a daughter she had put up for adoption decades earlier, as she reveals in her new memoir Bread of Angels, released Tuesday.

DNA Tests Uncover Family Mysteries

After a 2012 DNA test showed that Patti Smith and her sister Linda were only half-siblings, they believed they had uncovered the truth their maternal grandmother suspected: that Smith’s biological father was actually her mother’s uncle. However, a later autosomal DNA test focusing on their mother's side revealed a different story.

Smith recalls that the test results, arriving on her 70th birthday, showed her father was "100% Ashkenazi."

Reunion with Adopted Daughter Leads to Revelation

Smith had placed a daughter for adoption at age 20, and they later reunited. This daughter, whose privacy Smith protects, used her research skills to assist her mother in locating her biological father.

She found a photograph of Sidney, Smith’s father.
Patti learned that Sidney was a "handsome Jewish pilot" with "dark wavy hair."
Sidney had passed away in 1965.

Author’s Reflection

Patti Smith’s journey highlights the power of family connections and modern ancestry tools in uncovering hidden chapters of personal history.

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The Mercury News — 2025-11-05

Patti Smith Discovers Biological Father with Daughter's Help

DNA Tests Uncover Family Mysteries

Reunion with Adopted Daughter Leads to Revelation

Author’s Reflection

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