ASCAP fetes Patti Smith

MS. SMITH GOES TO HOLLYWOOD: ASCAP will honor Patti Smith at the org’s 27th annual Pop Music Awards, taking place April 21 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel. Smith will be presented with the prestigious ASCAP Founders Award. Past recipients include Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, Heart's Ann & Nancy Wilson, Billy Joel, Annie Lennox, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Smokey Robinson, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Tom Waits, Stevie Wonder and Neil Young. Said ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams: "Patti fused raw rock energy with the heart of a poet and ignited the 1970s New York punk scene. She expanded the boundaries of artistic expression, musically and otherwise, inspiring generations of rockers worldwide. She continues to be a vibrant, prolific artist, working in a wide variety of media.” (3/18a)