Patti Smith says late parents happy about Rock Hall induction

Almost every artist is happy to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but Patti Smith says the honor has a special meaning. Her parents felt this was an important honor that she deserved, but they didn't get to see it happen in their lifetime. Smith told us that she knows her parents are happy that it's finally come: "When my parents passed away, for a while I wasn't as excited (about getting inducted), because I was really excited for them, because it meant so much to them. But it still means so much to them, and I know that they -- wherever, what sphere they are in -- that they're really happy."

Smith will be inducted alongside the Ronettes, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Van Halen, and her friends in R.E.M. The ceremony takes place Monday (March 12th) at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, and it will air live on VH1 Classic.

She'll release a covers album next month called Twelve, featuring songs from Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, and the Allman Brothers Band, among others.