Patti Smith pays tribute to The Cars' Ric Ocasek and artist John Cohen

Last night, at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in the suburbs of Detroit, Patti Smith paid tribute to numerous iconic musicians whose recent passing shook the industry.

Smith dedicated her hit, 'Because the Night' to the late guitarist and vocalist Ric Ocasek. As co-founder of The Cars, Ocasek helped shape the new wave scene with the band's incredible success in the late '70s and '80s. The musician died on Sunday at the age of 75.

Before delving into the song though, Smith responded to a Guardian report earlier this week that claimed she wasn't relevant in that scene until she teamed up with Bruce Springsteen. "I didn't get nobody to do nothing for me," she retorted, adding that it was in fact Springsteen that offered her 'Because the Night'.

Smith also paid her respects to John Cohen, the founding member of the New Lost City Ramblers and famed photographer, who passed away on Monday at the age of 87. She dedicated her performance of 'Tarkovsky (The Second Stop Is Jupiter)' and discussed his brilliant contributions to the industry including iconic shots of Jack Kerouac, Robert Frank, Bob Dylan, and Woodie Guthrie.

Calling both Cohen and fellow photographer Robert Frank, who died earlier this month, "two really fine men", Smith solemnly concluded, "We salute them both. Farewell, John".