Richard Lloyd, known for his sophisticated musical style as a founding member and guitarist of the influential punk band Television, has died aged 75.
His family confirmed that Lloyd died Saturday morning at his home in Chattanooga, Tennessee. “His beloved wife Sheila and his dog Willie Mays were with him at the end,” his family said in a statement to Rolling Stone.
According to his family, Lloyd’s death was caused by cholangiocarcinoma, a form of bile duct cancer that he was diagnosed with in March 2026.
A crowdfunding campaign had revealed that Lloyd had developed tumors in his liver and, crucially, that there was one that could not be surgically removed.
Television, established in 1973, played an important role in the emerging punk rock movement that grew around CBGB, the legendary former concert venue on New York’s Bowery. The band was one of the first punk bands to perform at the downtown venue, which previously focused primarily on country and bluegrass music.
During a 2007 interview, Lloyd reflected on his role in the club’s history, stating: “CBGB’s is the most famous rock ‘n’ roll club that ever existed and I was the one who started it! I was the invisible force behind it all.”
TV recorded only two studio albums during its peak in the late 1970s. The band’s first album, released in 1977, was Marquee Moon, which has since been widely recognized as a landmark recording. Rolling Stone ranked it #107 on its 2023 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The record is still considered one of the most influential guitar albums in rock history.
In a 2005 review, the Guardian described his performance, writing that “Lloyd’s guitar was at its strongest in an unbalanced sound mix, so it was impossible to overlook the amount of ground he covered. Crisp, crisp chords, deft fills and torrential Van Halen-style solos fell from his fingers.”
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