Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, and author whose 1975 debut album Horses elevated her as an influential member of the New York City-based punk rock movement of the 1970s. Smith has fused rock and poetry in her work. In 1978, her most widely known song, “Because the Night”, co-written with Bruce Springsteen, reached 13th on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and fifth on the UK Singles Chart.
In 2005, Smith was named a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. In 2007, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.In November 2010, Smith won the National Book Award for her memoir Just Kids, which fulfilled a promise she made to her former long-time partner Robert Mapplethorpe to author her autobiography. She is ranked 47th on Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, published in 2010, and was awarded the Polar Music Prize in 2011.
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