• Analysis
Richard Lloyd, Television guitarist, dies at 75
Richard Lloyd, the founding guitarist of the punk band Television, has died at 75. His family said he passed away on Saturday morning at his Chattanooga, Tennessee home from cholangiocarcinoma.
His final days
Richard Lloyd's family confirmed the guitarist died on Saturday morning at his home in Chattanooga, Tennessee, of cholangiocarcinoma, a bile duct cancer he was diagnosed with in March 2026, according to a statement reported by Rolling Stone.
- •A crowdfunding campaign had earlier revealed that Lloyd had developed tumors in his liver, including one that could not be surgically removed
His family said his wife Sheila and his dog Willie Mays were with him at the end.
Television and CBGB
Television formed in 1973 and played a significant role in the punk rock movement that grew up around CBGB, the former venue on the Bowery in New York City. The band was among the earliest punk acts to perform there, in a club that had previously focused mainly on country and bluegrass music.
Lloyd claimed a central part in that history. In a 2007 interview he said:
"CBGB's is the most famous rock 'n' roll club to have ever existed and I fucking created it! I was the invisible force behind it."
Marquee Moon and his guitar work
Television recorded just two studio albums during its late-1970s peak. The first, Marquee Moon, released in 1977, has earned widespread recognition as a landmark recording, and Rolling Stone ranked it No 107 on its 2023 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
- •Rolling Stone placed Marquee Moon at No 107 among the 500 greatest albums of all time in 2023
- •In a 2005 review, the Guardian described Lloyd's playing as crisp, crunchy chords, dextrous fills and torrential Van Halen-style solos
His family said his wife Sheila and his dog Willie Mays were with him at the end.
