Smithereens' Pat Dinizio Dead At 62

Pat Dinizio, lead singer for Smithereens, died Dec. 12 in Scotch Plains, N. J., at age 62. The cause of death wasn’t revealed.

Jim Cooper – Pat DiNizio

Band members Jimmy Babjak, Mike Mesaros and Dennis Diken announced Dinizio’s death on Smithereens’ website and Facebook page.

“Today we mourn the loss of our friend, brother and bandmate Pat Dinizio. Pat had the magic touch. He channeled the essence of joy and heartbreak into hook-laden, three-minute pop songs, infused with a lifelong passion for rock & roll.

Our journey with Pat was long, storied and a hell of a lot of fun. We grew up together. Little did we know that we wouldn’t grow old together.

Goodbye Pat. Seems like yesterday. Jimmy, Mike, Dennis”

Dinizio had posted a few days before that he was looking forward to touring and was undergoing physical therapy for neck and back injuries.

Smithereens formed in New Jersey in 1980 and went on to be known for hits including “Blood and Roses” and “A Girl Like You.”

The band most recently played two shows in Massachusetts at The River Club and Narrows Center For The Arts. They were scheduled to go back on the road in January.

Pollstar Box office data shows the Smithereens’ average ticket sales at 416 with a reported average gross of $12, 458.