Tom Verlaine Frontman Of Legendary Punk Band Television Dead At 73

Tom Verlaine , founding member, singer, and guitarist of legendary punk rock band Television , passed away at 73 "following a brief illness." The news was confirmed by Jesse Paris Smith, daughter of fellow punk rock icon and Verlaine's one-time ex Patti Smith . No further details were given on Verlaine's passing at the time but it didn't take long for waves of punk legends to pay tribute.

Patti Smith herself posted a tribute to Verlaine on her Instagram, a black and white photo of the pair with a caption referencing their time together "This is a time when all seemed possible." 80s punk star Billy Idol also paid tribute to the work Tom Verlaine and Television did laying the groundwork for punk rock's future. "He made incredible music that greatly influenced the US & UK punk rock scene in the '70's RIP."

Verlaine, born Thomas Miller in New Jersey first undertook piano and saxophone before shifting his focus to guitar. He moved to New York in the early 70s adopting the name Tom Verlaine and forming a band called Neon Boys that would go on to become Television. The band became highly influential in the punk rock scene for their performances at CBGB and went on to release two massively acclaimed and highly influential albums in their initial fun, starting with their timeless debut Marquee Moon .