Lead singer for the Smithereens dies

[tower912]

https://www.yahoo.com/music/pat-dinizio-smithereens-lead-singer-dies-62-060657481.html

Now he's only a memory.     Hopefully, he isn't in a lonely place.   

These guys were always a band I enjoyed.   3 minute nuggets of power pop.   He had a great voice.     RIP. 

[T-Bone]

Bummer.  I think the first rock show I saw as a kid in a Chicago.  Nice that the waitresses were not carding 16 year olds.  Snow day the next day if I remember correctly.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Bummer.  Agreed, liked their stuff.  Appears it was sudden/unexpected.

[HouWarrior]

New Jersey loses another...

1) Carteret, New Jersey's ...Pat DiNizio of The Smithereens – America's Band;

2)Hoboken, New Jersey's ....Janet Lupo, Playboy Miss November 1975;

....these things happen in threes...

Who's next, New Jersey?

[Dr. Blackheart]

Pick one of these nine lost New Jerseyans...

http://nj1015.com/famous-new-jerseyans-we-lost-in-2017/

[nyg]

Saw them in Atlantic City back in late 1980's.  Excellent band with some great songs, they were like your favorite bar band, who interacted with the audience and played tunes very loud with fantastic guitar riffs.  Had like five/six songs which kept them on the radio/MTV for a few years. 

Fast track to 2016.....Saw something that they would be playing locally at a small club and decided to go.  Had not followed them over the years, but had some songs on my iTunes playlist.  Not a big venue and when they got on stage, what a shock.  Pat Dinizio had probably gained 200 pounds, his right arm was in a sling and was a huge man.  To say the least, he couldn't play guitar, but he still sang pretty good.  After their set, they came around, talking to everyone in the club, just down to earth guys. Came back home, googled and found out he had gained like 200 pounds because of some medication and had fallen in the snow in 2015 and had severe nerve damage to his right arm, disabling him.

Shame he passed, some good music.