Legendary Rock Bassist Dead at 77
Fred Smith, the legendary bassist who played with bands including Angel & The Snake (later Blondie) and Television, has died at the age of 77.
Television's official Instagram page confirmed the musician's passing on Friday evening, with fellow guitarist Jimmy Rip writing: "[Fred] was a great running buddy and exactly the guy you wanted around when road life got wearisome. His sense of humor, much like his musical voice, was dry, subtle, to the point, hilarious and always left you wanting a more. Yesterday, he left this world, leaving so many who loved him wanting so much more…of him."
Fred Smith Played for Two Iconic Rock Bands
Smith began his musical career alongside rock icon Debbie Harry in Angel & The Snake - a band that quickly renamed itself to Blondie. The group was responsible for such hits as "One Way or Another", "Heart of Glass", and "Call Me.", though Smith had left the project by that point.
Instead, Smith opted to replace Richard Hell in the proto-punk band Television, after Hell left for The Heartbreakers. It was here where Smith found the most success, collaborating with the band on tracks such as "Marquee Moon", "See No Evil", and "Elevation".
Television was a pioneering band in the rise of punk rock throughout the late '70s, and Smith's dense basslines and driving melodies were among the band's most noteworthy sounds.
Following Television's split in 1978, Smith continued playing bass guitar for several other well-known rock bands, including The Roches, The Revelones, and The Fleshtones. When the band got back together in 1992, Smith reunited with his former bandmates on tour.
"If you are a lover of melodic bass lines and counterpoint, you could go to school on what Fred created so effortlessly," Jimmy Rip wrote on Instagram. "Thankfully, we were able to say goodbye, “love you” were our last words to each other. I will miss him more than anyone can imagine.”
Smith is survived by his wife, Paula Cereghino, with whom he founded an artistanal winery in New York named Cereghino Smith.