Patti Smith (born Patricia Lee Smith on December 30, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter and poet.

She was influential in the birth of the punk rock with her 1975 debut album Horses. Called "Punk's Poet Laureate" she integrated the beat poetry performance style with garage rock. Her allusions introduced 19th century French poetry to American teens, while her "unladylike" language defied the disco era. Smith is most widely known for the song "Because the Night", which was co-written with Bruce Springsteen and reached number 13 on Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2005 Patti Smith was named a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by French Minister of Culture, and in 2007 she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Patti Smith (born Patricia Lee Smith on December 30, 1946 in Chicago, U.S.) is an American singer-songwriter , artist and poet. She was influential in the birth of the punk movement with her 1975 debut album Horses . Called “Punk’s Poet Laureate” and “Godmother of Punk” she integrated the beat poetry performance style with garage-band rock and roll. Smith is perhaps most widely known for the song Because the Night , which was co-written with Bruce Springsteen . On March 12, 2007, she w