Richard Lloyd, the co-founder and lead guitarist of the influential 1970s New York City art-punk band Television, has died at 75.
Lloyd’s family confirmed his death in a statement, saying he died Saturday at his home in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He had been diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a form of bile duct cancer, in March, according to People.
He was celebrated for his fiery, intricate guitar work and his pivotal role in shaping New York’s emerging punk and art-rock movement.
Lloyd formed Television with singer Tom Verlaine, drummer Billy Ficca and bassist Richard Hell. Hell left the group in 1975 and was replaced by Fred Smith, formerly the bassist for Blondie.
Although Verlaine drew much of the attention as Television’s frontman, lead vocalist and principal songwriter, Lloyd brought intensity and musical force through his solos and improvisational playing.
Television became an early mainstay at New York’s CBGB, the legendary club that helped launch a scene featuring Patti Smith, David Bowie, members of the Ramones, Talking Heads and Blondie.
Richard Lloyd, who was co-founder and lead guitarist of the 1970s New York City art-punk band Television, has died at age 75. Above, Lloyd in 2017
He was best known for his fiery and intricate dual-guitar playing and for his role in pioneering the New York City punk and art-rock scene with Television. Above, Lloyd in 1977
Lloyd’s signature playing on the band’s 1977 debut album Marquee Moon, which featured tracks Marquee Moon and Venus, helped to define the sound of art-punk and post-punk.
Marquee Moon influenced the rise of alternative rock bands like R.E.M., U2, Sonic Youth, Wilco, Pavement and Yo La Tengo.
The band’s second studio album, 1978’s Adventure, which included songs Foxhole and Glory, reached the Top Ten list in the UK, but found a disappointing reception in the US.
Television broke up in 1978 due to creative friction in the band and tension between Verlaine and Lloyd as well, and the members all went their separate ways in the musical world.
Lloyd launched a solo career and worked as a prominent session and touring guitarist.
He rejoined Television when the band reunited in 1992 to release their self-titled comeback album and tour, before permanently exiting the group in 2007.
Lloyd was born in Pittsburgh in 1951 and spent his youth in New York City following his parents’ divorce.
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He published a memoir, Everything is Combustible, in 2017, and reflected on his rebellious adolescence and early mental health struggles including several stays in psychiatric facilities along with substance abuse during his youth.
Lloyd’s family announced his death in a statement, saying he passed away on Saturday at his home in Chattanooga, Tennessee, after being diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) in March. Above, Lloyd in 2018
Television was a fixture and early act at CBGB in New York City, a scene populated by Patti Smith, David Bowie, members of The Ramones and Blondie. Above, L to R, bassist Richard Hell, lead vocalist Tom Verlaine, Billy Ficca on drums, and Lloyd
Television broke up in 1978 due tensions between Verlaine and Lloyd among other reasons. Above, the band in 1977
Lloyd launched a solo career and worked as a prominent session and touring guitarist
The musician shared on his GoFundMe page organized by friend Sean Seymour that he was ‘financially strapped’ amid his health issues. Above, Lloyd in 2017 with CBGB veterans Peter Holsapple and Wayne Kramer
In December 2025, Lloyd spoke about Television and his dynamic with Verlaine to Guitar World in what would be his final interview.
‘We were like the glamor of poverty. We looked like runaways playing rock ‘n roll,’ he told the outlet.
‘Dynamic tension existed, and that was responsible for a great deal of the creativity,’ the guitarist said of Verlaine, who died in 2023 at age 73.
‘There’s no denying that Tom was a genius. He was a poet. I’m not poetic. His double- and triple-entendre was better than mine. But in the realm of our magic, my guitar playing was on another level, though he could play and sing. It satisfied me.’
In August, Sean Seymour, a friend and bandmate in the Richard Lloyd Group, confirmed Lloyd’s cancer diagnosis and created a GoFundMe for the guitarist.
‘He has tumors in his liver, including one located dangerously close to a major blood vessel. Because of its location, doctors cannot safely operate to remove it at this time,’ Seymour shared on the GoFundMe page.
‘He has been in the ICU seven times, dealing with serious complications including sepsis twice, as well as complications involving his liver and kidneys. And through all of this, he’s fighting,’ Seymour wrote.
Lloyd also shared a message on the GoFundMe page, writing: ‘I am usually a pretty upbeat person and I am taking this in stride, but it has become very difficult on our own and financially we are strapped. That’s why I’m asking for your help. If you can see your way clear to make a donation please do that. Otherwise, please pass it around to your friends that might help and people that know me.’
Lloyd is survived by his wife, Sheila O’Keefe Lloyd; son Dylan and a brother, Eric Lloyd.
