Fred Smith of Television performs at Georgia Theatre on September 10, 2016 in Athens, Georgia. Photo: Getty Images
Fred Smith was bass player in two of New York’s great punk era bands, Blondie and Television. A native New Yorker, Smith joined a group of like-minded musicians in 1974 to form Angel and the Snake — a band which would eventually become world-wide chart toppers Blondie. However, Smith was not to enjoy in their success, leaving in 1975 to join a seemingly much more promising outfit Television, replacing Richard Hell. Smith was a core member of Television until their split in 1978, appearing on both 1977’s Marquee Moon and 1978’s Adventure albums. While the albums were, and remain, deeply beloved by critics, commercial success eluded Television and its always brittle lineup fractured soon after. After the group’s breakup, Smith featured on solo albums for fellow bandmates Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd, and was also part of Television’s reunion in 1992 — when the band released a third, self-titled album. From 1988-89 Smith also played with The Fleshtones. Fred Smith died on February 5 aged 77. — Allied Media/Agencies
