Pat DiNizio (The Smithereens), RIP

Pat DiNizio, frontman of The Smithereens, has died. He was 62. The band relayed the sad news early this morning (12/13) on their Facebook, writing:

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

Formed in 1980 in Carteret, New Jersey, The Smithereens pulled from classic ’60s pop but brought it into modern times, and their great 1986 debut, Especially for You, was a big college radio hit and almost cracked the Billboard Top 50. The two follow-ups, Green Thoughts and 11, were college radio staples as well, and the band kept doing what they did best, releasing 11 albums overall, most recently 2011. Pat, you’ll be missed but your music lives on. Rest in peace.