Television Guitarist Richard Lloyd Dies at 75 in Chattanooga

Richard Lloyd, the fiery and fluent guitarist who co-founded Television, died on Saturday at his home in Chattanooga, Tenn., at 75. The New York Times reported the cause as bile duct cancer.

Lloyd's interlocking guitar work with frontman Tom Verlaine defined Television, the New York band formed in 1973. Their 1977 album "Marquee Moon" remains a defining document of the era, anchored by oft-covered songs "See No Evil" and the nearly 11-minute title track, and it shaped later alternative rockers including R.E.M. and Sonic Youth.

What was Lloyd's role in Television?

Critics and fans often credit Verlaine, who died in 2023, as the band's auteur. Lloyd's contributions were perennially underrated. Broadly, Lloyd brought the fire and Verlaine the finesse. Though tied to the punk movement, Television's sound was anything but punk: intricate, virtuosic soloing, unusual song structures and Verlaine's deadpan vocals set the band apart from its CBGB peers.

Beyond Television, Lloyd released nine solo albums and contributed searing guitar to Matthew Sweet's classic 1991 album "Girlfriend," which also featured fellow CBGB-era guitarist Robert Quine.

How did Television launch CBGB?

Television effectively initiated the Lower Manhattan club that became punk rock's key incubator. According to legend, Verlaine and Lloyd walked past the venue, saw owner Hilly Kristal outside and asked what music he booked. Told "Country, Bluegrass and Blues" — hence the club's name — the pair replied that their band played something like that. It did not.

The booking stuck. The Ramones, Blondie and Talking Heads soon followed, and by 1975 CBGB was the hotbed of a scene that would revolutionize rock music.

How did the band rise and fall?

Lloyd was born Richard John Alt on Oct. 25, 1951, in Pittsburgh. He moved to New York City as an infant, grew up in Greenwich Village and took up guitar early, attending Fillmore East concerts as a teen. He attended Stuyvesant High School but dropped out before graduation. His struggles with mental health and substance abuse began in those years.

After stints in Boston and Los Angeles, Lloyd returned to New York and joined Verlaine, Richard Hell and drummer Billy Ficca — introduced through Terry Ork, who later released Television's first single, "Little Johnny Jewel," on his own independent label. Hell left in 1975; Blondie bassist Fred Smith replaced him.

David Bowie called Television "the most original band I've seen in New York." Elektra Records signed the band in 1976. "Marquee Moon" arrived in February 1977; U.S. sales disappointed, but the British press embraced the band, delivering three hit singles, successful tours and two top 10 albums in the U.K.

The peak lasted just two albums. Marred by Lloyd's debilitating heroin addiction, Television split in 1978 after "Adventure" — though "Live at the Old Waldorf," recorded in June 1978 just before the breakup, catches the band at full power.

What came after?

Lloyd launched his solo career in 1979 with "Alchemy" and played on albums by X's John Doe and Sweet. Television reformed in 1992 at the height of its alt-rock-era influence, releasing a self-titled album and touring. Later regroupings usually excluded Lloyd, whose relationship with Verlaine stayed fractious.

The band's recorded legacy — two studio albums, one live document and decades of influence — far outlived its brief run. Lloyd's death leaves drummer Billy Ficca and bassist Fred Smith as the surviving members of the classic "Marquee Moon" lineup.