CARTERET, NJ (CelebrityAccess) — Pat DiNizio, lead singer/songwriter, guitarist, and founding member of New Jersey rock band The Smithereens is dead at age 62.
The musician’s passing was announced on The Smithereens website late on December 12th. Although no cause of death was specified, DiNizio had been suffering from a number of health issues since 2015 when he suffered multiple falls which resulted in serious nerve damage and reduced mobility in his right hand and arm.
Although the Smithereens had been forced to cancel several tour dates as a result of these injuries, they were on track to once again hit the road this January.
While The Smithereens were never able to achieve major mainstream success, they cultivated a large and passionate fan base through their early work with Enigma Records.
In addition to his work with The Smithereens, DiNizio also recorded several albums as a solo artist and even dipped his toe into the world of politics in a 2000 run for the New Jersey Senate as a Reform Party candidate.
In a statement on The Smithereens’ website, the three remaining members of the band remembered 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.”
