Fred Smith has died. The bassist, best known for his work with the punk band Television, died at a Manhattan hospital on Feb. 5 after a cancer battle, his wife, Paula Cereghino, told The New York Times. He was 77.
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In a post to Instagram, Television guitarist Jimmy Rip paid tribute to his late bandmate.
“The legendary bassist for Television, Tom Verlaine and many others, Fred Smith, was not only my bandmate for 46 years—he was my true friend,” Rip wrote. “He was a great running buddy and exactly the guy you wanted around when road life got wearisome. His sense of humor, much like his musical voice, was dry, subtle, to the point, hilarious and always left you wanting a more.”
Rip, who met Smith in 1980, went on to praise his late friend’s talent.
“If you are a lover of melodic bass lines and counterpoint, you could go to school on what Fred created so effortlessly,” he wrote. “He was a natural—never flashy, always essential—always serving the song in ways that only the greatest musicians can.”
Rip continued his post by noting that Smith “fought his illness long and hard these last few years, looking always forward to new projects.”
“We had big plans to play Tom’s music live this year… but it just wasn’t meant to be,” Rip concluded. “Thankfully, we were able to say goodbye, ‘love you’ were our last words to each other. I will miss him more than anyone can imagine.”
What to Know About Fred Smith
Smith first earned acclaim as the bassist for Angel and the Snake, which later became Blondie. He left the band in 1975 to join Television, where he replaced founding bassist Richard Hell.
Marquee Moon, Television’s debut album, shaped punk music following its 1975 release. The band put out their sophomore album, Adventure, in 1978. They split shortly thereafter.
However, Smith returned to Television for their 1992 reunion. He continued to play with the band in the two decades that followed.
Outside of Television, Smith worked with Verlain and Lloyd, The Roches, Willie Nile, Peregrine, the Revelons, and the Fleshtones over the course of his career.
Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images
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