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Who is Patty Smyth?
Patty Smyth, on the other hand, is one of those stars who shines forever. Patty Smyth has established herself as one of the best pop vocalists to ever grace the music scene.
She, most recognized for her distinctive vocals, was the lead singer of Scandal, a well-known rock band from the early 1980s.
Despite their peak success, the band split in 1985.
Patty Smyth’s life altered after that.
In this post, we discussed Patty Smyth’s life’s ups and downs.
More Facts About Who is Patty Smyth
Full Name | Patricia Smyth |
Known as | Patty Smyth |
Birth Date | 26th June 1957 |
Birth Place | New York City |
Residence | Manhattan |
Religion | Christianity |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | White |
Education | N/A |
Horoscope | Cancer |
Father’s Name | George Smyth |
Mother’s Name | Betty Smyth |
Siblings | Elizabeth Smyth |
Age | 65 years old |
Height | N/A |
Weight | N/A |
Eye Color | Black |
Hair Color | Black |
Profession | Singer, Song Writer |
Marital Status | Married |
Spouse | Richard Hell (divorced) and John McEnroe (present) |
Children | 6 |
Name of Children | Anna McEnroe, Ava McEnroe, Emily McEnroe, Sean McEnroe, Ruby Smyth, Kevin Smyth |
Band | Scandal (1981) |
Labels | Columbia, MCA |
Net Worth | $100 million |
Merch | Vinyl, Greatest Hits CD |
Last Update | October 2022 |
Patricia Smyth | Childhood
Patricia Smyth, also known as Patty Smyth, was born on June 26, 1957, to mother Betty, a nightclub owner, and father George Smyth, a construction worker.
Her mother was a trapeze artist as well as the manager of the famed rock’n’roll guitarist Link Wray.
She was the family’s youngest daughter.
Her older sister’s name is Elizabeth Smyth.
Patricia’s parents split when she was young, which was tragic.
Her mother raised her in Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn.
Patricia Smyth’s difficult adolescence
Patricia got into legal difficulties at a young age.
She was arrested twice when she was twelve years old.
She was detained for punching an officer and waiting on a street corner to buy drugs.
She was then released on bond since she was a minor.
Patricia would skip school to be with her mother.
She needed to support herself, so she began performing in the city.
Smyth gained musical notoriety when she was fifteen years old after singing a song by British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Cat Stevens at Folk City.
She also performed musical acts at the Catch A Rising Star comedy club.
Patricia supported herself financially by working as a waitress in a steakhouse.
Patty Smyth | Musical Profession
Becoming a Scandal member
While working as a waitress at a steakhouse in the early 1980s, Smyth received a call from guitarist Zack Smith.
In 1981, Zack persuaded her to join the band Scandal.
She gladly consented and became the band’s lead vocalist.
Smyth rose to national popularity as Scandal’s lead vocalist.
In 1982, the band’s self-titled debut EP became Columbia Records’ best-selling EP.
Goodbye to You, one of the album’s tracks, peaked at #5 on Billboard’s Album Rock playlist.
Following the success of the Scandal EP, the band’s debut and only full-length album, Warrior, was released.
Columbia Records published the album on August 21, 1984, and it reached number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 200 album charts.
The Warrior, the lead song, received a ‘BMI Airplay Award and peaked at #7 on the ‘US Billboard Album Rock Tracks,’ ‘Canadian RPM Top Singles,’ and ‘US Billboard Hot 100′ lists.
Despite Smyth’s growing prominence, the band split in 1985 due to internal disagreements among band members.
Offer to play with Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen, Patty’s friend, invited her to join Van Halen.
She was approached to take over as David Lee Roth’s main singer.
Patty declined the offer because she was eight months pregnant at the time.
She refused to relocate from New York to Los Angeles.
When asked if she regrets her decision, she responded she does for the time being.
She would not have had a solo career and would not have met her husband, John McEnroe if she had joined the band.
Going it alone
Smyth released her first solo album, “Never Enough,” on Columbia Records in 1987.
The album was well-received, peaking at #66 on the Billboard 200.
The album’s title track peaked at #4 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, while a rendition of Tom Waits’ “Downtown Train” peaked at #40.
Her eponymous second studio album, ‘Patty Smyth,’ was released on August 18, 1992, and went gold due to the success of its debut song, ‘Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough.’
The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
It received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal, Duo, or Group.
Smyth co-wrote “Look What Love Has Done,” which was used as the title song for the 1994 American comedy film “Junior.”
The song was nominated for both a Grammy and an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
In 1998, she co-wrote and sang ‘Wish I Were You,’ which appeared on the original soundtrack album of the mega-hit American sci-fi disaster film Armageddon.
Scandal’s Reunion
In 2004, VH1 enlisted Smyth and the other Scandal members for a Bands Reunited program.
As a result, the band briefly reformed and performed on the East Coast of the United States in 2005.
The next year, Columbia/Legacy released a new Scandal compilation CD as part of their We Are the 80s series.
The album contained three previously unheard recordings from the 1982 recording sessions.
They released their first single in nearly 24 years on January 17, 2009.
Richard Hell’s disastrous marriage
Patricia Hell married Punk Rock Singer Richard Hell in 1985, and they have a daughter.
It was “love at first sight,” as they say, and it all started when Patricia returned home on a three-month tour in support of her debut album Warrior. Patty had no idea who he was when they first met.
They became friends and finally married in St. Mark’s Church.
Patricia marrying her first love was like something out of a fairy tale.
However, after two years, the relationship began to deteriorate. Patricia and Richard had their first child, Ruby.
Smyth suffered from Postpartum Depression after giving birth to Ruby, and she was turned down for help just when she needed it.
Patricia was struggling. Her job was deteriorating, as was her marriage. They had fights every day.
As a result, they decided to divorce.
She concentrated on being a single mother after her divorce from Richard in 1986.
I rediscovered love with John McEnroe.
Patricia met Mc Enroe during a Christmas party in Los Angeles in 1993.
They were both in a transition period because they had recently ended their relationship.
Patricia had recently divorced Richard, while Mc Enroe had recently divorced Tantum O’Neal. They were both single parents.
McEnroe went to the celebration with his children, who would follow him wherever he went. Patricia thought it was cute.
McEnroe’s friend had intended to hook him up with Patricia but had neglected to inform her.
So he made the initiative to ask Patricia out.
Patricia sensed something familiar about him and believed he was the appropriate man for her.
Many people questioned their connection and predicted that it would not last.
She never imagined they’d be together for so long.
Patricia had lost hope in love and relationships because she was raised by a single mom and her first marriage had failed.
However, after seeing John, she expresses gratitude for his presence over the years.
She likes how they haven’t lost the spark in their marriage and still feel like newlyweds.
Anna was born in 1995, and the couple married on May 23, 1997.
Patricia’s Offspring
Patricia went from having one child to having five children in a year and a half.
She was in charge of rearing her child, Ruby, from Richard Hell, as well as Mc Enroe’s three children, Emily, Sean, and Kevin.
Anna, her first child with John, was born in 1995, and Ava, her second child, was born in 1998.
Mc Enroe’s children lived with their father as their mother battled drug addiction.
Patricia had the enormous task of caring for five children.
Her full-time job was being a mother, and she didn’t want to compromise on that.
She gave up her work to be a mother.
Patricia claims that her children are accepting and have pushed her to resume her musical career.
She is content with her six children and considers herself to have a large happy family.
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Patty Smyth’s Salary and Earnings
Patty Smyth is worth $100 million dollars.
She and John own expensive Malibu real estate.
They paid $21 million for an oceanfront home in Paradise Cove, Malibu’s most expensive area, in 2015.
Johnny Carson’s Malibu mansion was previously owned by John.
John and Patty own real estate in Los Angeles worth around $50 million.
In 1999, they paid $4.2 million for a two-acre estate in Southhampton.