TOM VERLAINE,PUNK PIONEER AND TELEVISION FRONTMAN,DIED AT 73

   Jesse Paris Smith, the daughter of Verlaine's friend and ex-lover Patti Smith, confirmed Verlaine's death to the New York Times.

   Verlaine and his band, Television, established their distinct sound in New York City's Bowery's Hilly Kristal's CBGB club, which helped them establish their musical history. Richard Lloyd's bluesy yet poetic playing and Verlaine's characteristic, chiming guitar work combined to create a memorable, broad, and energetic sound for the band.

   According to Robert Palmer's book "Rock & Roll: An Unruly History," Television, and particularly Tom Verlaine, continued The Velvet Underground's legacy with their street-real lyrics and harmonic clang-and-drone sound, infused with nods to John Coltrane's modal jazz and the Byrds' resonant ragtime-rock. Despite their lack of financial success, younger musicians such as the Feelies, Sonic Youth, Steve Wynn of the Dream Syndicate, and Nels Cline of Wilco were profoundly impacted by the band's impact on the music industry.

   In a statement, Steve Wynn stated that Tom Verlaine was his guitar idol and had a significant influence on him and many other guitarists. The pioneering debut album "Marquee Moon," released by Elektra Records in 1977, demonstrated the group's creative virtuosity and originality. Verlaine's 10-minute album title track stood in stark contrast to their CBGB contemporaries, such as the Ramones and Talking Heads, who had shorter, more dramatic songs. It included Verlaine's trademark lead vocal and an extended solo.

   Television disbanded following the release of their second album, "Adventure," in 1978, due to growing antagonism between Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd. The band was reformed in 1992 to record a self-titled album for Capitol Records and to perform live on occasion. Jimmy Ripp, who had previously accompanied Verlaine on his solo albums and tours, took Lloyd's place in the touring band in 2007.

   Verlaine released eight solo albums between 1979 and 1992 on labels such as Elektra, Warner Bros., Virgin, I.R.S., Fontana, and Rykodisc, all of which included his television-honed enigmatic authorial voice. Verlaine made a reappearance in 2006 with the simultaneous release of "Around" and "Songs and Other Things" on the Chicago-based independent label Thrill Jockey.

 He was born Thomas Miller on December 13, 1949, in Denville, New Jersey. In Wilmington, Delaware, he began studying the piano to pursue his love of symphonic music. His passion in jazz music evolved in 1963, and he began playing the saxophone. His view of the guitar as a respectable instrument didn't change until his twin brother John started playing him Rolling Stones recordings

   

   In an interview with Mojo in 2001, Verlaine commented, "I'd always thought of the guitar as a simple instrument. These recordings persuaded me that jazz and the guitar could coexist." Despite his considerable musical successes, Verlaine was a self-deprecating individual, remarking in a 2006 New York Times story, "Struggle not to have a professional career."

   Miller and Meyers, along with Lloyd, formed Television by fusing the Dolls' punk intensity with an art-school style inspired by authors such as William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, and Allen Ginsberg. Concerts with the Ramones, Blondie, and Talking Heads in the mid-1970s catapulted the band to prominence in New York's punk scene.

   In 1977, Television released "Marquee Moon," which is today regarded as one of the best punk albums and a watershed point in the evolution of alternative music. Television recorded two more albums before disbanding in 1978, despite the feuds between Verlaine and Lloyd. Verlaine continued to create solo albums and do solo shows, both on his own and with various touring bands.

   Following the demise of The Neon Boys, Tom Verlaine, and Richard Hell created Television in 1974. Television was inspired by the band's stage name Verlaine, which was drawn from the French novelist Paul Verlaine. They started performing at the Bowery bar CBGB, where they were noticed by the media and other musicians.

    Patti Smith, who was just starting her own musical career at the time, gave the band an early 5-star review in Rock Scene and praised Verlaine's guitar performance. In addition to working together on Smith's debut album "Horses" in 1975 and Verlaine's 1976 book "The Night," Smith and Verlaine were inseparably linked.

   Television is a New York-based band created by Tom Verlaine and Richard Hell that attracted notice from major record labels after the publication of their single "Little Johnny Jewel." Despite a powerful live presence and a contract with Elektra Records in 1976, neither "Marquee Moon" nor its follow-up "Adventure" reached the top of the US charts. The band split following their 1978 US tour.

   Verlaine resumed recording with the publication of "Songs and Other Things" in 2006. In 2009, he released "Songs" and "Songs Without Words". He was widely regarded as a vital figure in the development of punk and post-punk music, and he continued to tour and perform frequently. Verlaine's financial success was limited, but his avant-garde approach and spectacular live performances sealed his reputation as a creative guitarist and musician.