Patti Smith

Patti Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet, painter, author, and photographer born December 30, 1946. With a career spanning over seven decades, she has been active since 1975, making her debut album Horses, which cemented her influence in the New York City-based punk rock movement. Her unique blend of rock and poetry has defined her work, with notable hits like "Because the Night," co-written with Bruce Springsteen, reaching number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number five on the UK Singles Chart in 1978. A Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture since 2005, Smith has also been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2007) and won the National Book Award for her memoir Just Kids (2010). Recognized as one of the greatest artists of all time by Rolling Stone magazine (#47, 2010), she was awarded the Polar Music Prize in 2011.