Richard Lloyd, the guitarist and founding member of the influential punk band Television, died Saturday morning, November 7, 2026, at his home in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was 75. His family confirmed the death was caused by cholangiocarcinoma, a bile duct cancer he had been diagnosed with in March 2026.
His loving wife Sheila and his dog Willie Mays were with him at the end,
his family said in a statement to Rolling Stone.
Television Formed at the Bowery Club CBGB in 1973
Television formed in 1973, becoming a fixture of the New York City music scene centered at the Bowery club CBGB. The band’s origins trace back to the Neon Boys, a group featuring Tom Verlaine, Richard Hell, and Billy Ficca, who recruited Lloyd as a second guitarist to finalize the lineup. Lloyd’s arrival helped elevate the band’s technical prowess, particularly after Hell departed in 1975 and was replaced by bassist Fred Smith.
This unique approach, characterized by the dueling sounds of Lloyd’s 1961 Fender Stratocaster and Verlaine’s late-’50s Jazzmaster, helped distinguish them from contemporaries like the Ramones, Blondie, and the Talking Heads. Lloyd later noted that he pushed to double-track his parts in the studio, layering up to eight guitar tracks on songs like “Guiding Light” to achieve a bigger, more complex sound.
Lloyd often claimed responsibility for the venue’s shift toward rock music. In a 2007 interview, he stated, 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.
The band’s 1977 debut album, Marquee Moon, is widely recognized as a landmark recording. While the group’s initial run was brief—ending in 1978 after the release of their second album, Adventure—their influence persisted. Television reunited in 1992 to release a self-titled third album and performed periodically in subsequent years. Lloyd left the group on good terms in 2007 to focus on his own music.
Richard Lloyd Grew up in Greenwich Village Playing Guitar
Born Richard John Alt on October 25, 1951, in Pittsburgh, Lloyd moved to New York City as an infant and was raised in Greenwich Village. He began playing guitar at age seven after discovering the instrument at a cousin’s sleepover. As a teenager, he frequented the Fillmore East and eventually dropped out of high school to move to Boston, where he played alongside blues legend John Lee Hooker. He later lived in Los Angeles before returning to New York in 1973, where he met Verlaine through their mutual friend, manager Terry Ork.
Lloyd’s personal history included documented struggles with substance abuse, which he wrote about openly, noting he became sober in 1984. He also described experiencing synesthesia, a condition where his senses overlapped, noting that playing music brought specific colors to his mind.
Richard Lloyd Released Solo Albums and Collaborated with Matthew Sweet
These included his 1979 debut Alchemy, 1986’s Field of Fire, and his final studio effort, 2018’s The Countdown. He also released the live album Real Time in 1987 and a collection of unreleased material titled Lodestones in 2010. Beyond his own work, he was a distinctive collaborator, most notably contributing guitar to Matthew Sweet’s acclaimed albums Girlfriend (1991), Altered Beast (1993), and 100% Fun (1995).
Reflecting on his career, Lloyd told The Stranger, I didn’t get into this for the money. Some people did. I got into it to become a renowned guitarist who’s made an irrevocable impact on rock & roll history.
Richard Lloyd Sought Financial Support Before Passing Away
In a statement shared on the GoFundMe page, Lloyd addressed the difficulty of his situation: That’s why I’m asking for your help. If you can see your way clear to make a donation please do that. Otherwise, please pass it around to your friends that might help and people that know me.
His bandmate Tom Verlaine died in January 2023. With Lloyd’s passing, the core guitar duo that defined Television’s sound is now gone. Lloyd is survived by his wife, Sheila O’Keefe Lloyd; his son, Dylan; and his brother, Eric Lloyd.