Fred Smith, the 77-year-old bassist who was a founding member of Blondie and later a core member of Television, has died after a long illness. Tributes have been posted by bandmates and fellow musicians.
Career and recordings
Smith was the original bassist for Angel and the Snake, the group that would evolve into Blondie. He remained with the band from its 1974 foundation before leaving to join Television, where he replaced Richard Hell. Smith was a core member of Television until they broke up in 1978.
Television’s debut album Marquee Moon, released the year before the band’s 1978 breakup, was widely acclaimed and reached No. 28 on the UK charts. The album has been cited as a defining release of the punk movement and a foundational record for alternative rock, and it has consistently appeared on curated lists such as Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time,” where it was ranked 128th and rose to 107th in the 2020 edition.
Tributes and reactions
Guitarist Jimmy Rip wrote on Instagram: “Fred was not only my bandmate for 46 years – he was my true friend. 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.” Rip said Smith had been ill for a number of years and added, “He fought his illness long and hard these last few years, looking always forward to new projects.”
Rip also shared that he and Smith had planned to play Tom Verlaine’s music live this year, but that those plans did not come to pass.
Other musicians paid tribute as well. Manic Panic founders Tish and Snooky Bellomo wrote: “We knew Fred from being in the first Blondie lineup with him and we remained close friends ever since.”
Legacy
Colleagues remembered Smith for his musical approach. One fellow musician wrote that, for those who love melodic bass lines and counterpoint, Smith’s playing offered lessons in restraint and service to the song: “He was a natural – never flashy, always essential – always serving the song in ways that only the greatest musicians can.”
Smith’s work with Blondie in the band’s earliest days and his contributions to Television’s influential sound left a mark on post-punk, new wave and indie rock movements that followed.
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