Television’s Tom Verlaine has died

Another rock icon from the same city, Jessie Paris Smith, daughter of Patti Smith, offered condolences. He died of a minor illness at the age of 73. Tom Verlaine died in New York surrounded by those close to him.

Television is best known for the album “Marquee Moon” (1977). The band already disbanded in 1978, but reunited several times.

The late legend was originally named Thomas Miller. He took his stage name from the French poet Paul Verlaine.

Worked with Patty Smith

Tom Verlaine and his schoolmate Richard Hell formed the group Neon Boys in 1972. The following year Richard Lloyd reformed on television as the new guitarist. Their first show was in March 1974, and they became one of the most important groups on television in New York in the 1970s, alongside the Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads and Buddy Smith, who also worked with Tom Verlaine.

After the band broke up in 1978, Tom Verlaine released several solo albums, the most recent in 2006. He worked with David Bowie and the 1980s band Violent Femmes.

Billy Idol was one of the people who was influenced by Tom Verlaine’s music. On Twitter he writes:

“He made incredible music that influenced the punk rock scene in both the US and UK in the 70’s. RIP”

Compared to Hendrix

“Tom Verlaine’s guitar playing has always been beyond whispering. He’s the best rock and roll guitarist of all time, and like Hendrix he can dance from parts of the cosmos to garage rock. That takes a special kind of greatness,” writes Waterboys’ Mike Scott on Twitter.

Tributes have been pouring in from many quarters on social media:

“Tom Verlaine’s playing meant everything to me. He made me a guitarist,” writes Will Sargent, guitarist for Echo & The Bunnymen.

“Peace and love, Tom Verlaine,” writes Susannah Hoffs from The Bangles, following a broken heart.

“He was my guitar hero when I needed him the most. Dream Syndicate guitarist Steve Wynn tweeted, “I practiced playing ‘Marquee Moon’ every day throughout 1981.