Tom Verlaine , vocalist and guitarist for Television , has passed away at the age of 73. The news was revealed by Jesse Paris Smith , daughter of Patti Smith and close to the musician, who stated that Verlaine fell ill suddenly. The cause of death was not disclosed.
On Instagram, Jesse posted a tribute to Verlaine: “Love is immense and eternal,” he wrote. “There has never been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.” See the full post at the end of this article.
Born Thomas Miller in Denville, New Jersey, on December 13, 1949, Verlaine was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, where he met his friend Richard Meyers ( Richard Hell ) as a teenager. Later, they moved to New York and formed the group Neon Boys , which soon became Television, a band that achieved success with their shows at the legendary New York punk club CBGB.
Television became one of the biggest names in the New York punk scene, alongside names like the Ramones, Talking Heads, Blondie, and Patti Smith, with whom Verlaine even had a romantic relationship.
The band broke up in 1978 after the successes of Marquee Moon and Adventure , but reunited in 1992 for the release of their third and final self-titled album.
Verlaine released solo albums over the years and collaborated extensively on film soundtracks, including the soundtrack for the 2007 Bob Dylan I'm Not There .
