Patti Smith Honored With ASCAP Founders Award

The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) has issued a press release announcing that they will be honoring rock icon Patti Smith with an ASCAP Founders Award at their 27th Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards, which will also include the introduction of their "I Create Music" EXPO.

ASCAP says the award "is among the most prestigious honors that ASCAP gives to songwriters and composers who have made pioneering contributions to music by inspiring and influencing their fellow music creators. Each recipient is a musical innovator who possesses a unique style of creative genius that will enrich generations to come."

Past recipients of the award include Bob Dylan, Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, and Joni Mitchell, among many other music legends.

President and Chairman Paul Williams said, "Patti fused raw rock energy with the heart of a poet and ignited the 1970s New York punk scene," and lauded her for her continued work in the genre.

The ASCAP release points out that her 1975 release Horses established her as one of the most original and influential artists of her generation, and also mentions her many other awards, including her 2007 induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and her 2005 awarding of the title Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres by the French Republic.

The "I Create Music" EXPO that will also be introduced this year is a three-day conference involving interviews, workshops, master classes, demonstrations, and more. Producer Quincy Jones will be interviewed by rapper Ludacris and there will also be a conversation with Bill Withers and an interview with John Mayer.