Guitarist Tom Verlaine, who was the frontman of the rock band Television, died at the age of 73. Jesse Paris Smith, the daughter of long-time associate and collaborator Patti Smith, announced the news of his death on Saturday.
While his cause of death was not revealed, Smith said that he died “after a brief illness.”
Tom Verlaine has an estimated net worth of $3 million. He began his career as a songwriter in the late 1970s with Television. The band scored three UK Top 40 hit singles and was acclaimed for their albums Marquee Moon and Adventure.
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Verlaine, who was considered one of the more skilled musical practitioners to emerge from the now-defunct CBGBs club in New York’s Bowery, had been married to Lizzy Mercier Descloux since 1997 and they have two children together; their daughter Molly was born in 1998 and their son Jack was born in 2001.
After Television split, Verlaine released a string of solo albums, with his song Kingdom Come with a rare cover version by David Bowie on his Scary Monsters album. Television reformed in 1992, releasing a self-titled third album, and were active in later years,
Mike Scott of The Waterboys, whotweeted: “Tom Verlaine has passed over to the beyond that his guitar playing always hinted at.
“He was the best rock and roll guitarist of all time, and like Hendrix could dance from the spheres of the cosmos to garage rock. That takes a special greatness.”
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Will Sergeant, guitarist of Echo & The Bunnymen, said: “Tom Verlaine’s playing meant the world to me. If I ever played anything that sounded like him I was happy. He set me on my path as a guitarist, thank you Tom.”
