Tom Verlaine, who redefined rock guitar in the punk era of the 1970s with his band Television, died Saturday in Manhattan.
Tom Verlaine’s soloing (and Richard Lloyd‘s as well, of course) showed me you could be a virtuoso and dangerous at the same time, more Coltrane or Ornette than the arena rockers of the day.
In 2007, Lloyd was replaced in the touring unit by Jimmy Ripp, who had for many years supported Verlaine on his solo albums and tours.
Only after his twin brother John played the Rolling Stones’ “19th Nervous Breakdown” and other contemporary rock records for him did Miller rethink his preferred instrument.
Though he always boasted a devoted cult fan base, Verlaine never succeeded in attaining a commercial foothold on the charts; his 1981 sophomore solo album “Dreamtime,” his lone entry, peaked at No.