Sad news this morning. Pat Dinizio has passed away. Pat was the lead singer and songwriter of The Smithereens. He wrote such hits as “Behind the Wall of Sleep,” “Blood and Roses” and “A Girl Like You.”
On a deeply personal note: I first met Pat when he performed at the launch party for my comic strip “Prickly City” back in 2004. Pat sang for over two hours and hung out with us for another couple of hours. What a glorious night that was. Since that time we stayed in touch. Every year I would have my coyote character in Prickly City, Winslow, bring Pat a cake. (Almost always eating it long before he got it to Pat’s house in Scotch Plains, N.J.). Pat would call or text, laughing his infectious laugh, taking great joy in Winslow’s attempts to celebrate his birth.
I also drew the cover of Pat’s autobiography, “Confessions of a Rock Star.”
Pat was a talented songwriter with a voice that always brought an indefinable joy to any song he sung. He was also a really nice guy. The world is a little darker today with his passing. If you pray, say a prayer for my friend. Also, do yourself a big, fat favor and listen to some Smithereens music. It will make you smile.
