Fred Smith obit

Fred Smith, Bassist for Television, Dies at 77

 

He was not on the list.

Fred Smith, bass player for the influential proto-punk band Television, died Thursday. He was 77. The band confirmed his death on its Instagram.

Smith started out playing with Angel and the Snake, which then became Blondie. In 1975 he left Blondie to replace Richard Hell in Television. After the band broke up in 1978, he played on solo albums for the Television members Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd, as well as for The Roches, Willie Nile, Blondie, Peregrins and The Revelons. Smith also played bass and toured with The Fleshtones.

He rejoined the band when Television reunited in 1992 and played on numerous tours.

Television member Jimmy Rip wrote on Instagram, “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.”

Smith and his wife, Paula Cereghino. founded an artisanal winery Cereghino Smith which was based in Bloomington, New York.