Richard Lloyd, the guitarist and co-founder of the influential New York band Television, has died at 75. He died Saturday, Nov. 7, of bile duct cancer, according to a statement from his family.
Lloyd had cholangiocarcinoma, a rare bile duct cancer. Stereogum reported he was diagnosed in March and died at his home in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His battle with the illness became public in August.
The family's statement to Rolling Stone said his wife, Sheila, and his dog, Willie Mays, were with him at the end.
Lloyd joined Television as a second guitarist after the band formed in 1973. His twin-guitar interplay with Tom Verlaine helped define the band's 1977 debut, Marquee Moon, which is widely regarded as a landmark of the era. After the band split in 1978, he launched a solo career and released nine albums. He also played on records by Matthew Sweet and took part in Television's reunions in the early 1990s and early 2000s.
Drummer Billy Ficca is the only surviving member of the lineup that recorded Marquee Moon and Adventure. Verlaine died in 2023, and bassist Fred Smith died earlier this year.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Lloyd's wife, Sheila, and his family, along with the friends and fans who loved his music.
