Pat DiNizio will forever be more than “Only A Memory” in his New Jersey hometown.
The Township of Scotch Plains announced this week that the late frontman of The Smithereens will be honored with a street dedicated in his name. After falling ill in 2015, DiNizio died on December 12, 2017, at the age of 62.
On April 17, Scotch Plains has invited friends, family, and fans to the Montague Avenue corner of Westfield Avenue, where a ceremony will be held and a new street sign will be unveiled. The location is not far from DiNizio’s childhood home. DiNizio graduated from Scotch Plains-Farnwood High School in 1973 and was inducted into the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School Hall of Fame three years ago.
“It was a pleasure and a privilege to see Pat perform in Scotch Plains this past summer,” the township’s mayor, Al Smith, states in the official release below. “Since his unexpected death in December, the Township has received many requests to honor Pat’s legacy. Pat DiNizio Way will forever stand as testament to the man who loved his hometown of Scotch Plains.”
Adds Township Manager Al Mirabella: “Pat was a personal friend. He never missed an opportunity to say how proud he was of his home town of Scotch Plains. Naming a street in his memory is only one of the tributes we will pay to this hometown treasure.”
DiNizio formed The Smithereens in 1980 with Jim Babjak, Mike Mesaros and Dennis Diken. They released over a dozen albums and achieved a cult-like following over a career that spanned decades.
Street naming for our dear friend Pat Dinizio
in Scotch Plains, New Jersey is now official. ❤️
Mark your calendars for a April 17th. Everyone is welcome to attend ceremony.
Thank you to our friend Cindy Sivak at Smithereens official & @scotchplainstwp for this. pic.twitter.com/z3Nfa3jLTk— Smithereens Official Fan Page (@SmithereensRock) March 26, 2018
