The obituary was given by Jesse Paris Smith, daughter of Patti Smith, another rock icon from the same city. He died aged 73 after a short illness.
Television is best known for the album “Marquee Moon” (1977). The band disbanded already in 1978, but reunited several times.
The late legend was originally named Thomas Miller. He took the stage name from the French poet Paul Verlaine.
Tom Verlaine and his schoolmate Richard Hell formed the group Neon Boys in 1972. The following year it was reformed into Television with Richard Lloyd as the new guitarist. Their first gig was in March 1974 and Television became one of the most important groups in 70s New York along with the Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads and Patti Smith with whom Tom Verlaine also worked.
“Tom Verlaine has gone beyond what his guitar playing always gossiped about. He was the greatest rock and roll guitarist of all time, and like Hendrix he could dance from the realms of the cosmos to garage rock. It takes a special kind of greatness,” writes Mike Scott of Waterboys on Twitter.