Richard Lloyd, founding member and guitarist of punk band Television, dies aged 75

Known for sophisticated musical style in band that played significant role in emerging 1970s punk rock movement

Richard Lloyd, known for his sophisticated musical style as a founding member and guitarist for the influential punk band Television, has died at the age of 75.

His family confirmed that Lloyd died Saturday morning at his home in Chattanooga, Tennessee. “His loving 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, there was one that could not be surgically removed.

Television, which formed in 1973, played a significant role in the emerging punk rock movement that grew up around CBGB, the legendary former music venue on the Bowery in New York City. The group was among the earliest punk acts to perform at the downtown venue, which had previously focused mainly on country and bluegrass music.

During a 2007 interview, Lloyd reflected on his role in shaping the club’s history, declaring: “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.”

Television recorded just two studio albums during its peak in the late 1970s. The band’s first album, released in 1977, was Marquee Moon, which has since earned widespread recognition as a landmark recording. Rolling Stone ranked it No 107 on its 2023 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The record is still considered one of the most influential guitar-driven albums in rock history.

In a 2005 review, the Guardian described his performance, writing that “Lloyd’s guitar was the louder in a lopsided sound mix, so it was impossible to overlook the amount of ground he was covering. Crisp, crunchy chords, dextrous fills and torrential Van Halen-style solos tumbled from his fingers.”