Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, poet and visual artist who was a highly influential component of the New York
punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album
Horses. Called the "Godmother of Punk", she integrated the beat
poetry performance style with three-chord rock. Smith's most widely known song is
Because The Night, which was co-written with
Bruce Springsteen and reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1978. In 2007, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.