Television's Richard Lloyd, Guitar Pioneer, Dead at 75

Richard Lloyd, the guitarist who helped shape Television into one of the most innovative bands of the '70s, has passed away at 75. Alongside Tom Verlaine, Billy Ficca, and Richard Hell, Lloyd was there from the jump—building something that felt radical at the time and still holds weight decades later.

Television weren't your typical punk band. They brought this angular, almost jazz-influenced approach to the guitar that made songs feel cerebral and dangerous at once. Lloyd's work on their landmark debut wasn't just playing notes; it was architecture. That guitar interplay with Verlaine became a blueprint for how rock bands could think bigger.

Beyond Television, Lloyd's influence rippled through generations of players who studied how to make guitars speak in unexpected ways. He represented that era when New York's downtown scene was still figuring itself out—before it all got codified and sold back to us.

His legacy sits in that foundational moment when punk had room for weirdness, when the point was to push what rock could be, not just to thrash louder. That matters.

Read the full story at Pitchfork → https://pitchfork.com/story/richard-lloyd-television-guitarist-dies-at-75/