Fred Smith, longtime bassist for Television and founding member of Blondie, has died. According to the band’s social media, Smith died Thursday. “He fought his illness long and hard these last few years, looking always forward to new projects,” Television guitarist Jimmy Rip wrote. “I will miss him more than anyone can imagine.”
Smith was born in 1948 and found himself at the founding of the New York punk scene. He played bass for Angel and the Snake with Chris Stein and Debbie Harry. The band would eventually morph into Blondie. In 1975, Smith left Blondie and replaced Richard Hell in Television. “Blondie was like a sinking ship and Television was my favorite band,” he told MOJO in 2001. Smith would maintain a relationship with Blondie, however, as the two bands often shared bills at CBGB.