The Smithereens | |
|---|---|
 Diken, Babjak, and DiNizio in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Carteret, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Labels | |
| Members | Jim Babjak Mike Mesaros Dennis Diken |
| Past members | Pat DiNizio Severo Jornacion |
| Website | OfficialSmithereens.com jimbabjak.com |
The Smithereens are an American rock band from Carteret, New Jersey.[1] The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio (vocals and guitar), Jim Babjak (guitar and vocals), Mike Mesaros (bass guitar and vocals), and Dennis Diken (drums and percussion). This original lineup continued until 2006, when Mesaros left the band and Severo Jornacion took over on bass guitar until Mesaros' return in 2016. After DiNizio died in 2017, the band continued performing live shows as a trio (Babjak, Mesaros and Diken) with various guest vocalists.
The band had a string of hits in the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, including "Only a Memory", "A Girl Like You" and "Too Much Passion". The Smithereens have collaborated with numerous musicians, both in the studio (Belinda Carlisle, Julian Lennon, Lou Reed, Suzanne Vega) and live (Otis Blackwell, Graham Parker and The Kinks).[2] The band named themselves after a favorite word of cartoon character Yosemite Sam.[3]
- ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "The Smithereens | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
- ^ "Here's Music That Will Blow Your Mind to Smithereens | the Seattle Times".
- ^ "Pat DiNizio, lead singer of Smithereens, dead at 62". The Florida Times-Union. Associated Press. Retrieved May 26, 2024.