Richard Lloyd, Television’s Fiery and Fluent Guitarist, Dies at 75 — SkimNews
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- Richard Lloyd died Saturday at his home in Chattanooga, Tennessee, from bile duct cancer at age 75.
- Television developed an influential 1970s New York sound through Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlaine’s intricate, virtuosic guitar work, unusual song structures and Verlaine’s low-key, deadpan vocals rather than conventional punk.
- CBGB was initiated by Television; the band secured a booking, the Ramones, Blondie and Talking Heads soon followed, and by 1975 the club was a hotbed for punk rock.
- David Bowie called Television “the most original band I’ve seen in New York” before Elektra Records signed the band in 1976.
- Marquee Moon was released in February 1977; despite its unimpressive domestic sales, Television achieved three hit singles, successful tours and two Top 10 U.K. albums, and the record influenced R.E.M. and Sonic Youth.
- Adventure was Television’s second album and preceded the band’s 1978 split; the group reformed in 1992, released a self-titled album and later regrouped several times, usually without Lloyd, whose relationship with Verlaine continued to be fractious.
- Alchemy was Lloyd’s first solo album, released in 1979 after Television split; he ultimately released nine solo albums and contributed fiery guitar work to Matthew Sweet’s 1991 album Girlfriend, alongside Robert Quine.
Why it matters: Lloyd’s death spotlights contributions that were long underrated: Marquee Moon sold unimpressively domestically, yet Television achieved three hit singles, successful tours and two Top 10 U.K. albums, and the record influenced R.E.M. and Sonic Youth. His nine solo albums and work on Matthew Sweet’s Girlfriend show a career extending beyond Television’s brief original run.
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