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Thursday August 28, 2008

Punk icon PATTI SMITH has fond memories of the 16-years she spent away from showbusiness – because it allowed her to enjoy the simple life with her late husband FRED.

The Because The Night rocker and her man lived a self-sufficient lifestyle in Michigan, while Smith learned how to play golf and the clarinet.

She recalls, “We didn’t go anywhere. We did everything ourselves… We were frugal. I did all the cooking and cleaning. Fred did all the repair work in the house.

“Occasionally, he or I would get royalty cheques. It was great. I had a chance to learn and study. My husband taught me about politics and golf and how to play the clarinet.

“In the 16 years I was out of the public eye, I did more writing that I’d done ever before. I wrote three novels that have yet to be published. I painted. I drew. I had my children. It was a very good time in my life.”

And Smith feels sure she was destined to take time off – because her husband would die so young.

She tells Spin magazine, “The time when I was away from music ended up being the only time that I spent alone with him. That’s proof to me that I made the right choice.”

Former MC5 star Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith died from a heart attack in 1994, 14 years after he and Patti wed.