Leading man and guitarist of the band Television, Tom Verlaine, has sadly passed away. Verlaine reportedly passed away in his home Saturday morning while dealing with a “brief illness.” Patti Smith’s daughter, Jesse Paris Smith, broke the news with a statement. “He died peacefully in New York City, surrounded by close friends. His vision and his imagination will be missed,” she said. He was 73 years old.
In his early years, the Delaware native was inspired by rock and jazz music to develop his own sound. After connecting with fellow musician Richard Hell (aka Richard Meyers), the two headed to New York to pursue their passion for music. They formed the band Television in the early 1970s. The group released its debut album Marque Moon in 1977 and received critical and commercial success. The following year, they released their second album Adventure, which had a softer approach than its predecessor.
The group disbanded shortly after reuniting in 1992 where they released their self-titled third LP. Since its release, the group would perform a show here or there over time. Their most recent tour took place in 2019.
Verlaine also had a tremendous solo career, releasing ten solo albums in total. His last solo release was 2006’s Around. He would also collaborate with many musicians, including Wilco’s guitarist Nels Cline, Bob Dylan’s bassist Tony Garnier, and his former lover Patti Smith. Verlaine played on Smith’s Grammy-nominated song “Glitter In Their Eyes” from the soundtrack to Gung Ho, which was released in 2000.
Photo Credit: Mauricio Alvarado
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