Of all the rock and roll romances, the love affair between ’80s pop rocker Patty Smyth and drug dabbling CBGB’s main stay Richard Hell has to be one of the most unlikely. These differences may have ultimately caused the union between Smyth, a fresh-faced radio belter, and Hell, a scrappy punk poet, to last for only two years. But, thankfully as solo acts, both have achieved a long-lasting place in very separate corners of musical history.
Hell’s anthems, including It Comes in Spurts and Blank Generation, continue to inspire (and perhaps even create a few) snot nosed rebellion seekers. Smyth, meanwhile, collaborated on one of the most enjoyable New Wave EPs with her band Scandal before dominating the charts with The Warrior off the band’s first (and only) full length effort. (Much like her marriage to Hell, the group also ended its association quickly.)
Both artists are cinematic forces, as well.
Blank Generation, has been used in such fright features as 1981’s Fear No Evil and 2024’s The Exorcism. While The Warrior has been utilized in many a celluloid adventure, it found its grandest placement in the delightful 2023 horror comedy Cocaine Bear. Its appearance there is especially appropriate as Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh composed the film’s score, making this nature gone wild epic a sonic reunion of early MTV-like proportions.
Nicely, proving that rumors of hibernation are a myth, Smyth will be making her Cafe Carlyle debut in the fall of 2026 and regularly updates fans at her website, http://www.pattysmythandscandal.com.
