JIM BABJAK of THE SMITHEREENS - Interview

Jim talks with Jim and Mike about the new release: the Smithereens "lost" Album, touring, a remote control car, bruce springsteen, the sugarcubes .. and much more.   Jim Babjak is the lead guitar player and co-founder of The Smithereens.   He also is the leader of the band Buzzed Meg and a member of the band, The Bar.   The Smithereens formed in 1980 with the late Pat DiNizio (vocals & guitar), Jim Babjak (guitar & vocals), Mike Mesaros (bass guitar & vocals), and Dennis Diken (drums & percussion).    The band are perhaps best known for 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 (Graham Parker and The Kinks).   The Smithereens television credits include Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, MTV's Unplugged, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Uncle Floyd Show, CBS's This Morning, The Dennis Miller Show, and The Arsenio Hall Show.   In 2019, Babjak, along with his bandmates in the Smithereens, were inducted into the class of 2018 New Jersey Hall of Fame.   He has also been inducted into the White Castle Hall of Fame class of 2002 for his song "White Castle Blues."