The bassist of the famous and influential proto-punk band "Television", Fred Smith, died on Thursday at the age of 77.
The band confirmed his death on their Instagram account.
Smith began his career playing in the band Angel and the Snake, which later became Blondie. In 1975, he left Blondie to replace Richard Hell in Television. After the band's breakup in 1978, he played on solo albums by Television members Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd, as well as for the bands The Roches, The Peregrins, and The Revelons. Smith also played bass and toured with The Fleshtones.
He rejoined the band when "Television" reunited in 1992 and played on numerous tours.
"The legendary bassist for Television, Tom Verlaine and many others, Fred Smith, was not just my bandmate for 46 years — he was a true friend. He was a great running companion and exactly the kind of man you want by your side when life on the road gets tough. His sense of humor, just like his musical expression, was dry, subtle, clear, hilarious and always left you wanting a little more. Yesterday he left this world, leaving many who loved him wanting a lot more… of him," Television guitarist Jimmy Rip wrote on Instagram.
He added that "if you like melodic bass lines and counterpoint, you can learn from what Fred created with such ease."
"He was natural — never ostentatious, always essential — always in service of the song in a way that only the greatest musicians can," Rip wrote.
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