Tom Verlaine (born Thomas Miller, December 13, 1949 - January 28 - 2023) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter, best known as the front man of the New York City rock band Television.
Tom Verlaine
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Background Information
Birth Name => Thomas Miller
Born => 13 December 1949 Denville, New Jersey, U.S
Origin => Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Died => 28 January 2023 New York City, U.S.
Genres => punk rock, art punk, post-punk, new wave
Occupations=> Musician, singer, songwriter
Instrument's => Guitar, vocals, piano
Formerly of => Television, Neon Boys
=> Biography
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Verlaine (second from right) as part
of the band Television in 1977
Verlaine was born Thomas Miller ta a Jewish family in Denville, New Jersey on December 13, 1949. He moved to Wilmington, Delaware, with his family at age of six. he began studying piano at an early age but switched to saxophone in middle school after hearing a record by Stan Getz. Verlaine initially was unimpressed with the role of the +guitar in both rock music and jazz but was inspired to take up the instrument after hearing the Rolling Stones' "19th Nervous Breakdown" during his adolescence, at which point he began a long period of experimentation to develop a personal style. A later musical influence of Verlaine's became jazz musician Miles Davi's electric-period recordings, particularly the Japanese LPs Aghartha (1975) and Dark Magus (1977), which he was able to obtain as imports.
Verlaine also had an interest in writing and poetry from an early age. As a teen, he was friends with future bandmate and punk icon Richard Hell (Richard Meyers) at Sanford School, a boarding school which they both attended. They quickly discovered that they shared a passion for music and poetry.
After one failed attempt, Verlaine (with Hell) succeeded in escaping from school and moved to New York City. He then Created his stage name, a reference to the French symbolist poet Paul Verlaine. Je is quoted as having said that this name was inspired by Bob Dylan's name change and was a way of distancing himself from his past. He and Hell formed the Neon Boys, recruiting drummer Billy Ficca. The Neon Boys quickly disbanded after failing to recruit a second guitarist, despite auditions by Dee Dee Ramone and Chris Stein. They reformed as Television a few months later, finding a guitarist in Richard Lloyd, and began playing at seminal punk clubs like CBGB and Max's Kansas City. In 1975, Verlaine kicked Hell out of the band for his erratic playing single with Fred Smith replacing Hell. Verlaine dated post and musician Patti Smith when they were both in the burgeoning New York punk scene. Television released two albums, Marquee Moon and Adventure, to great critical acclaim and modest sales before breaking up in July 1978.
Verlaine soon released a self-titled solo album that began a fruitful 1980s solo career. He took up residence in England for a brief period in response to the positive reception his work had received there and in Europe at large. In the 1990s he collaborated with different artists, including Patti Smith, and composed a film score for Love and a.45. In the early 1990s television reformed to record one studio album (Television) and a live recording (Live at the academy, 1992).
they have reunited periodically for touring. Verlaine released his first new album in many years in 2006, titled Song and Other Things.
Verlaine died in New York City on January 28, 2023, after a brief illness, the age of 73.
=> Collaborations
Verlaine was in discussion with Jeff Buckley to produce his second album before Buckly's death by drowning in 1997.
Verlaine guested as guitar on numerous released by another artist's including the album Penthouse by the band Luna. he played on Patti Smith's Grammy-nominated "Gitter in Their Eyes" from her 2000 album Gung ho. this was not the first time Verlaine had collaborated with one-time romantic partner Smith; four years earlier, he played on the song "Fireflies" from her 1996 album Gone Again, and in the 1970s he played guitar on her debut single "Hey Joe" and on "Break It Up" from her doubt album Horses. He played with Smith in 2005 for a 30th-anniversary concert of Horses in its entirety, which was later released on CD.
Verlaine was part of the Millin Dollar Bashers, a supergroup also featuring Sonic Youth musicians Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley, Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, Bob Dylan bassist Tony Garnier, guitarist Smokey Hormel, and keyboardist John Medeski. Their work appears on the original soundtrack to I'm Not There, a biographical film reflecting on the life of Bob Dylan.
In 2012, Verlaine collaborated with former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Lha on his second solo album Look to the Sky.
=> Discography
Solo albums
- Tom Verlaine (1979)
- Dreamtime (1981)
- words from the front (1982)
- Cover (1984)
- Flashlight (1987)
- The Wonder (1990)
- Warm and cool (1992, reissued in 2005)
- The Miller's Tale: A Tom Verlaine Anthology (1996)
- songs and other Things (2006)
- Around (2006)