Fred Smith, bassist for the truly influential New York City band Television, passed away on Thursday (Feb. 5). Smith's former bandmate Jimmy Rip broke the news today on Instagram. Smith (far right in the photo above) was 77.
Tom Verlaine and Richard Hell founded Television together in 1973, and they quickly roped in guitarist Richard Lloyd. Fred Smith, who once played bass in the band that would later become Blondie, came aboard after Hell left in 1975. That same year, Television started their residency at the New York club CBGB. That residency was one of the key catalysts that launched the legendary '70s New York punk scene.
Television signed with Elektra, and they released the way-out visionary album Marquee Moon in 1975. The record's sound is minimal and expansive at the same time, and Smith's murmuring, unshowy basslines worked as launching pads for Verlaine and Lloyd's wild, unpredictable flights of guitar. Marquee Moon was a critical sensation but not a commercial success. They followed it with 1978's Adventure, and they broke up soon afterward.
Smith went on to play on solo albums from his former Television bandmates Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd, and he rejoined Television when they released a 1992 reunion album and played some reunion shows in the late '10s. In 2023, Tom Verlaine died at the age of 73.
Fred Smith also had a stint in New York garage-rock band the Fleshtones, and he played on records from people like Willie Nile, the Roches, and Peregrins.
Here is the eulogy Jimmy Rip posted:
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. 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. Yesterday, he left this world, leaving so many who loved him wanting so much more…of him.
We met in 1980 playing, with Jay Dee Daugherty on drums, in The Eve Moon Band, and soon after, the three of us were the NYC version of Holly and The Italians with Holly Beth Vincent. In 1981 when Tom Verlaine was preparing to tour for his disc Dreamtime, which Fred and Jay had performed on, they recommended me as second guitar, leading to very long and rich musical, and personal friendships.
If you are a lover of melodic bass lines and counterpoint, you could go to school on what Fred created so effortlessly. He was a natural — never flashy, always essential — always serving the song in ways that only the greatest musicians can…
He 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. 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.
Check out some of Smith's work with Television below.
