Tom Verlaine Wiki, Biography
American singer Tom Verlaine, best known for being the front man for the New York City rock band Television, has died at the age of 73. News of his death was confirmed by singer Patti Smith’s daughter, Jesse Paris Smith, on January 28, who said Verlaine died after a “brief illness.”
He died peacefully in New York City, surrounded by close friends. We will miss the vision of him and the imagination of him.”
Born December 13, 1949, Verlaine was originally from Denville, New Jersey. She developed an interest in studying piano at an early age, but eventually switched to saxophone after hearing a Stan Getz recording.
She developed a taste for the guitar during her teenage years after listening to the Rolling Stones’ 19th Nervous Breakdown. Verlaine was born Thomas Miller but adopted his stage name from the French symbolist poet Paul Verlaine.
Tom Verlaine formed Neon Boys with Richard Hell
Tom Verlaine moved to New York City and, in 1972, formed a band called the Neon Boys with his school friend Richard Hell, with whom he shared an interest in poetry and music. Neon Boys had Verlaine on vocals and guitar, Hell on bass, and Billy Ficca on drums.
In 1973, they changed the name of their band to Television and hired Richard Lloyd as second guitarist. After giving their first official performance in 1974, the group released Little Johnny Jewel, their first single, with Fred Smith taking over the role of Hell.
Verlaine wrote most of the songs during his time with the band and frequently collaborated with musician Smith, whom he dated in his early days on the New York punk scene.
Television released two highly acclaimed albums during their active years: Marquee Moon and Adventure, with the former being hailed as one of the seminal records of the punk era.
In July 1978, Television dissolved. However, Verlaine launched a solo career for a time and resided in England.
A year later, in 1979, Verlaine released a self-titled solo album that included the song Kingdom Come. The late artist remained productive as a solo artist for the next two decades, transitioning smoothly from post-punk experiments to all-instrumental EPs and silent film scores to working with Smith and other former denizens of the now-defunct CBGB club.
Television reunited in 1992 and released a third album together, performing live on and off frequently.
Reactions on Twitter to the death of Tom Verlaine
After news of Tom Verlaine’s death went viral, Twitter shared its condolences for the deceased. Several Twitter users and well-known musicians remembered the deceased and honored his contribution to the punk music scene. At the time of writing, no official cause of death for Tom Verlaine has been revealed.
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