Yet Another Reason To Move To Paris

PATTI SMITH RECEIVES TOP FRENCH CULTURAL HONOR!

The Insignia Of Commander Of The Order Of The Arts And Letters Presented To Pioneering Rock Artist By Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres


Congratulations to the groundbreaking rock & roll artist Patti Smith on being awarded of one of France's highest cultural honors.

Smith, whose seminal rock & roll album, Horses, was released in 1975, was presented with the prestigious insignia of Commander of the Order of the Arts and Letters by French Cultural Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres at an AIDS benefit concert in Paris on Sunday, July 10.

Smith, cited as an authentic rock & roll poet laureate, was praised by the French Cultural Ministry as "one of the most influential artists in women's rock 'n' roll." The citation also noted Smith's high profile appreciation of the 19th century French poet Arthur Rimbaud.

Previous recipients of the Order of Arts and Letters, established on May 2, 1957, include William Burroughs and Susan Sontag.

Smith is currently at work on a new album, her second for Columbia Records and her first of cover songs.

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www.pattismith.net
www.columbiarecords.com

It is a travesty that Patti Smith, one of the founders of Punk Rock, has not been inducted by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Write the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and demand that Patti Smith be inducted in 2006:

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10104