I can't claim to own the Smithereens' entire discography, and I'm too young to have experienced them in their heyday, but hearing about the death of Scotch Plains' Pat DiNizio, the band's lead singer, on Tuesday hit me unexpectedly hard.
27-year-old Billy Hannam had been sober for more than a month before leaving a note that he had relapsed and gone to find help. He has not been heard from since Friday.