Television co-founder Tom Verlaine dies

American guitarist Tom Verlaine has died at the age of 74 after a short illness, reports the Associated Press.

Verlaine was the guitarist and co-founder of the punk rock band Television. It is believed that the band, formed in 1973, became one of the pioneers of this direction of rock music, influencing many legendary bands: Pavement, Sonic Youth, the Strokes, etc.

Television are known for their performances at the famous New York club CBGB along with the Ramones and the Talking Heads, as well as the “godmother of punk” Patti Smith.

Verlaine as a virtuoso performer is included in the Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”.