Patti Smith: podcast appearances and interviews

Patricia Lee Smith, born on December 30, 1946, is an American singer, songwriter, poet, and author. She is widely recognized as the godmother of punk due to her influential role in the New York City–based punk rock movement, which was notably marked by her 1975 debut album Horses. Smith uniquely fused rock music with poetry in her work, establishing a distinctive artistic identity. Her song Because the Night, co-written with Bruce Springsteen, achieved commercial success in 1978, reaching number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number five on the UK Singles Chart. Throughout her career, Smith has garnered numerous honors, including being named a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 2005 and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2010, she received the National Book Award for her memoir Just Kids, which was written to honor a promise made to her longtime partner and friend Robert Mapplethorpe. Recognized for her artistic influence, she was ranked 47th on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2010 and was awarded the Polar Music Prize in 2011.