According to the band's
, Fred Smith passed away on Thursday.
"He wasn't just my bandmate for 46 years - he was my true friend. He was a fantastic gunfighter and exactly the kind of guy you wanted to have with you when life on the road got tiring," guitarist Jimmy Rip wrote in a post.
Fred Smith was in an early version of Blondie before replacing Richard Hell in Television in 1975. Two years later, the New York band released their debut album "Marquee Moon", which has had a major influence on several generations of punk rockers.
The band disbanded in 1978, but has reunited several times.
Television frontman Tom Verlaine passed away three years ago.
