Jim Babjak

Last updated
Jim Babjak
Jim Babjak Aug 2016 .jpg
Babjak performing in 2016
Background information
Birth nameJim Babjak
Born (1957-11-17) November 17, 1957 (age 66) Salzburg, Austria [1]
Origin Carteret, New Jersey, U.S
Genres Rock, power pop
Occupation(s) Musician
Instrument(s) Vocals, guitar
Years active1980–present
LabelsKoch
d-tone
Enigma
Capitol
RCA
Website JimBabjak.com

Jim Babjak (born November 17, 1957) is an American guitarist and ex-banker. [2] He is the lead guitar player and co-founder of The Smithereens. Babjak has written and sung several songs for the band. He also is the leader of the band Buzzed Meg.

Contents

Origins

Babjak, from Carteret, New Jersey, formed The Smithereens together with fellow Carteret High School alumni Dennis Diken and Mike Mesaros, along with Pat DiNizio of Scotch Plains, New Jersey. [3]

Appearances

Babjak's music can be heard in the films Bull Durham , Backdraft , Encino Man , Time Cop , Romy & Michele's High School Reunion , Boys Don't Cry , Burglar , Cruel Intentions 2 , Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle , and I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry . The band made a cameo appearance in the film Class of Nuke 'Em High .

Other accomplishments include musical compositions and performances for the soap operas Passions and The Guiding Light , as well as television and radio commercials for Dairy Queen and Nissan Maxima.

Television credits include Saturday Night Live , Late Night with Conan O'Brien , MTV Unplugged , The Tonight Show with Jay Leno , The Uncle Floyd Show , CBS This Morning , The Dennis Miller Show , and The Arsenio Hall Show .

Recognition

In 2019, Babjak, along with his bandmates in the Smithereens, were inducted into the class of 2018 New Jersey Hall of Fame. [4] He has also been inducted into the White Castle "Cravers Hall of Fame" class of 2002 for his song "White Castle Blues." [5]

Babjak was rated #8 in the Asbury Park Press’ list of The 17 Greatest N.J. Guitarists of All Time. [6]

His composition, "Waking Up on Christmas Morning," was rated # 9 in the Asbury Park Press "The Christmas Top 10". [7]

According to Goldmine Magazine , among the bands influenced by the Smithereens was Nirvana. [8]

Babjak's guitar and other memorabilia from the Smithereens are on display at the Grammy Museum Experience in Newark at the Prudential Center. [9]

In May 2024, on a list including Bruce Springsteen, Les Paul, Al DiMeola, and Lenny Kaye, among others, Guitar World named Babjak one of the 30 Greatest Garden State Guitarists of All Time.

Personal life

Babjak lives in Manalapan Township, New Jersey. [10] At one time, Babjak had a day job working at a bank. [2]

Jim is the owner of Babjax Coffee, providing whimsically named premium roasted whole bean and ground coffee varieties which can be purchased online and at Smithereens gigs.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Smithereens</span> American rock band

The Smithereens is an American rock band from Carteret, New Jersey. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio, Jim Babjak, Mike Mesaros, and Dennis Diken. 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 with various guest vocalists.

<i>Girls About Town</i> (EP) 1980 EP by The Smithereens

Girls About Town is the debut EP by the American rock band The Smithereens. It was released on 31 October 1980 on the band's own D-Tone Records. The EP contains four songs with the word ‘girl‘ in the title, including "Girl Don't Tell Me," a song originally recorded by The Beach Boys.

<i>Beauty and Sadness</i> (EP) 1983 EP by The Smithereens

Beauty and Sadness is the second EP by The Smithereens, released in June 1983 on Little Ricky Records.

<i>11</i> (The Smithereens album) 1989 studio album by The Smithereens

11 is the third studio album by American rock band The Smithereens, released on October 24, 1989, by Capitol Records. It includes the Billboard Top 40 single "A Girl Like You". The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in June 1990.

<i>Meet The Smithereens!</i> 2007 studio album by The Smithereens

Meet The Smithereens! is the seventh studio album by Carteret, New Jersey-based rock band The Smithereens, released in stores on January 16, 2007. The album features the band covering The Beatles' 1964 American album, Meet the Beatles!.

Carteret High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Carteret in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, as the lone secondary school of the Carteret School District. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1929 and is accredited through January 2027.

<i>God Save The Smithereens</i> 1999 studio album by The Smithereens

God Save The Smithereens is the sixth studio album by The Smithereens, released on 19 October 1999 on Velvel/Koch Records. Produced by Don Fleming, it was originally intended to be a concept album based on the idea of the world ending as soon as the year 2000 started. It was the last studio album to feature bassist Mike Mesaros, who left the band in 2006, but returned ten years later for occasional live dates. "She's Got a Way" was released as a promo single.

<i>Especially for You</i> (The Smithereens album) 1986 studio album by The Smithereens

Especially for You is the first full-length album from New Jersey-based rock band The Smithereens, released in July 1986 by Enigma Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat DiNizio</span> American musician (1955–2017)

Patrick Michael DiNizio was the lead singer, songwriter and founding member of the band The Smithereens, which he formed in 1980 with Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken and Mike Mesaros from Carteret, New Jersey.

<i>Live in Concert! Greatest Hits and More</i> 2008 live album by The Smithereens

Live in Concert! Greatest Hits and More is a live album by New Jersey rock band The Smithereens, released in 2008 by Koch Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Diken</span> American DJ and record producer

Dennis Diken is an American drummer, DJ, author, music historian, and founding member of the band the Smithereens, which he formed in 1980 with Pat DiNizio, Jim Babjak, and Mike Mesaros in Carteret, New Jersey. Besides playing with the Smithereens, Diken is a fill-in DJ on WFMU as well as a liner notes author and reissue project researcher. As a musician, Diken has recorded or toured with, among others, Ronnie Spector, Dave Davies, Nancy Sinatra, Mary Weiss of the Shangri-Las and Ben E. King, and worked with musicians such as Dave Amels and R. Stevie Moore.

<i>2011</i> (album) 2011 studio album by The Smithereens

2011 is the eleventh studio album by American rock band The Smithereens, released on April 5, 2011 by eOne Music.

<i>The Smithereens Play Tommy</i> 2009 studio album by The Smithereens

The Smithereens Play Tommy is the tenth studio album by Carteret, New Jersey-based rock band The Smithereens, released on 5 May 2009 by E1 Music. The album features the band covering highlights from The Who's 1969 concept album, Tommy, creating an abridged version of the original story. The Smithereens edited the original album's 24 selections down to 13 songs, with a total running time of 41 minutes, compared to the original's 75 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strangers When We Meet (The Smithereens song)</span> 1987 single by The Smithereens

"Strangers When We Meet" is a song by the American alternative rock group The Smithereens, released as a European-only single in 1987. It is the fourth single released in support of their debut album Especially for You.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Behind the Wall of Sleep (The Smithereens song)</span> 1986 single by The Smithereens

"Behind the Wall of Sleep" is a song by the American alternative rock group The Smithereens, released in 1986. It is the second single released in support of their debut album Especially for You.

<i>The Best of The Smithereens</i> 1997 compilation album by The Smithereens

The Best of The Smithereens is a compilation album by Carteret, New Jersey-based rock band The Smithereens, released in 1997.

<i>Live</i> (The Smithereens EP) 1988 EP (live) by The Smithereens

Live is a live EP by the Smithereens, released in 1988 by Restless Records. It was the first release in the Restless Performance Series, which was initiated in January 1988, releasing CD-only live recordings. The EP contains six songs from a show recorded in October 1986 for MTV's "Live from The Ritz" concert series.

<i>From Jersey It Came! The Smithereens Anthology</i> 2004 compilation album by The Smithereens

From Jersey It Came! The Smithereens Anthology is a two-disc, career-spanning compilation album by the Smithereens, released in 2004. It features most of the band's singles, as well as album and EP tracks, non-album B-sides and a handful of rarities.

<i>Covers</i> (The Smithereens) 2018 compilation album by The Smithereens

Covers is a compilation album by The Smithereens, released in May 2018 by Sunset Blvd Records. It was originally released as a digital download on iTunes in May 2014. The album features 22 cover songs recorded by the band between 1980 and 2008. Most of the songs have previously been released as b-sides or on tribute albums and soundtracks.

<i>The Lost Album</i> (The Smithereens album) 2022 studio album by the Smithereens

The Lost Album is the twelfth studio album by American rock band the Smithereens, released on September 23, 2022, by Sunset Blvd Records. It comprises tracks recorded in 1993 for an abandoned album, and is the first album of previously unreleased original material in eleven years, since the release of 2011 in 2011.

References

  1. ↑ dead url
  2. 1 2 Safran, Chad A. (22 September 2016). "Jim Babjak - Blow to Smithereens". eDirectory. Archived from the original on 2 January 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  3. ↑ Cahillane, Kevin. "Not Fade Away: The Smithereens' Monument to Persistence", The New York Times , October 10, 2004. Accessed August 18, 2021. "The band formed in 1980 when three Carteret High School graduates (class of 1975) and childhood friends (Mr. Babjak, Dennis Diken on drums and Mike Mesaros on bass) met Pat DiNizio, a Scotch Plains singer-songwriter-garbage man."
  4. ↑ "Smithereens' Babjak on NJ Hall of Fame: 'DiNizio would love this'". New Jersey 101.5. 12 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  5. ↑ "- White Castle". - White Castle. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  6. ↑ Jordan, Chris; Biese, Alex (18 February 2016). "Born to riff: The 17 greatest New Jersey guitarists". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  7. ↑ Jordan, Chris (10 December 2015). "NJ's Top 10 Christmas songs of all time". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  8. ↑ Curley, John (11 October 2019). "The Smithereens proud to be among New Jersey's finest". Goldmine Magazine: Record Collector & Music Memorabilia. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  9. ↑ "An Evening with The Smithereens and Special Guest Marshall Crenshaw". GRAMMY Museum. 24 October 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  10. ↑ "Not Fade Away: The Smithereens' Monument to Persistence". The New York Times. 10 October 2004. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
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