Thanks for the music, Mr. Verlaine; and for being a source of inspiration to so many ...
'Tom Verlaine' (1983) by Deborah Feingold
“This is a time when all seemed possible. Farewell Tom, aloft the Omega.”
- Patti Smith, Instagram
"I met Tom when I was a child, not long after my dad passed away. In him, I felt the energy of a father, a man to hug, to laugh with, to share in mischievous jokes and wild imagination."
- Jesse Paris Smith, National Public Radio
"I met Tom Verlaine when he just arrived in NYC I guess '72. He had long hair and came to my apartment with an acoustic guitar and played some songs he'd written. Both Tom and Richard Hell have told me that I auditioned for the Neon Boys but I don't remember ..."
- Chris Stein, Twitter (writing on January 28, 2023)
" ♥️ "
- Debbie Harry, Twitter
"A poet + visionary. Thank you, Tom Verlaine RIP 💔 ."
- Jenny Lens, Twitter
"Tom and I had an hysterically funny conversation that lasted the last 42 years. He was blindingly smart, incredibly well read as well as surreally silly! Standing 10 feet away onstage night after night year after year and STILL trying to figure how he did what he did was the great honor and pleasure of my life."
- Jimmy Rip, National Public Radio
'One of the founding fathers of punk rock. Inventive, distinctive, brilliant. RIP the great Tom Verlaine, forever in our hearts and our record collections x .'
- Rough Trade Records
"Sad 2 hear of tom verlaine passing today. He made incredible music that greatly influenced the US & UK punk rock scene in the ‘70’s."
RIP '
- Billy Idol, Twitter
"Tom Verlaine’s playing meant the world to me. If I ever played anything that sounded like him I was happy. He set me on my path as a guitarist, thank you Tom."
- Will Sergeant, Twitter
"Classic, Rest in peace Tom, remember I went to the Glasgow Apollo , I was 17, long time , ago , Love , Tom Verlaine ..."
- Edwyn Collins, Twitter
"Went by the book stalls outside Strand yesterday thinking I’d see you as usual, have a smoke, talk about rare poetry finds for a couple of hours, downtown NYC racing by our slow meditations on music, writing - gonna miss you Tom. TV Rest In Peace."
- Thurston Moore, Twitter
"Tom Verlaine forever! 💔❤️❤️❤️❤️ tragic."
- Kim Gordon, Instagram
"He was my guitar hero at a time when I needed one most. I spent the entire year of 1981 practicing daily to Marquee Moon. Tom Verlaine's soloing (and Richard Lloyd's as well, of course) showed me you could be a virtuoso and dangerous at the same time, more Coltrane or Ornette than the arena rockers of the day. It was a revelation and I was hoping my Jazzmaster could somehow channel his when I played the solo on "Halloween" on the first Dream Syndicate album. Such an immeasurable influence on me and, of course, on so many of fellow guitarist friends. A huge loss -- keep poking at those heavens, Tom Verlaine."
- Steve Wynn, Facebook
"Peace and love, Tom Verlaine. 💔 ."
- Susanna Hoffs
“I've lost a hero. Bless you Tom Verlaine for the songs, the lyrics, the voice! And later, the laughs, the inspiration, the stories, and the rigorous belief that music and art can alter and change matter, lives, experience. You introduced me to a world that flipped my life upside down. I am forever grateful.”
- Michael Stipe, Instagram
"Another of my heroes gone, away to the great Marquee Moon in the sky ..."
- Thomas Dolby, Twitter
"Beautifully lyrical guitarist, underrated vocalist. Television made a new kind of music and inspired new kinds of music. Marquee Moon is a perfect record. Requiescat."
- Steve Albini, Twitter
"A true original. No one played guitar like Tom Verlaine before or since. Sat crossed legged on the floor on his side of the stage in Roskilde as he played in Patti Smith’s band and that was as close to perfection as you can get. A sad sad day. Rest in Peace Tom 🥲 ."
- Simon Raymonde, Twitter
"Heartbroken and stunned to hear of the passing of Tom Verlaine. What an inspiration to so many guitarists, of which I was one. Brilliantly melodic, intense, orchestral, and groundbreaking. Thank you, Tom. R.I.P. 💔 ."
- Richard Barone, Twitter
"Listened to Marquee Moon 1000 times. And I mean LISTENED, sitting still, lights down low taking it all in. awe and wonder every time. Will listen 1000 more. Tom Verlaine is one of the greatest rock musicians ever. He effected the way John and I play immeasurably. Fly on Tom."
- Flea, Twitter
"Tom Verlaine was so important to me. Back in ‘82, there was a company called ROIR (Reach Out International Records) that put out live recordings, demos, and otherwise previously unreleased music by many of my heroes: the MC5, the New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders, 8-Eyed Spy, etc. ROIR was also the first label to release a proper Bad Brains album - the classic 171A sessions, which are still my favorite recordings by them. ROIR’s releases were only issued on cassette and, when I was 14, I collected those tapes like they were jewels.
Other than the Bad Brains album, the ROIR cassette that had the greatest impact on me was a collection of live recordings by Television called “The Blow-Up.” That tape had a live version of their song “Little Johnny Jewel” in which Verlaine embarks upon a series of extended guitar solos that are the TRUTH, the WHOLE TRUTH, and NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, SO HELP ME GOD!
I say Verlaine “embarks” upon the solos because each one is like a journey. He becomes an explorer in the best and truest sense. It’s as though he’s flying and learning to walk at the same time. It is monumental guitar playing. The live version of “Little Johnny Jewel” from “The Blow-Up” cassette has embedded itself into my DNA the same way “Machine Gun” by Hendrix or all of Eddie Hazel’s early Funkadelic solos have. They’re such a fundamental part of who I am that I don’t even realize when I’m copping from them.
I’ve touched on the story of my first band A.V.O.C. (the pre-cursor to Neon Christ) many times in press interviews. But I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned that, at our very first jam session in our drummer Ricky Jackson’s basement, we jammed on a little 3-note riff that I showed our bass player, Roger Maynard (who had never played before and was borrowing my Vantage bass and Peavey bass amp to begin learning). The 3-note riff was childlike in its simplicity, even more basic than the main riff of “Little Johnny Jewel.” But it was enough to get us started on what turned into a 15-minute jam - Ricky stepping down hard on a martial drum beat, Roger pedaling steadily on that 3-note riff, and me… exploring, embarking on a journey.
Like Tom Verlaine. RIP."
- William DuVall, Instagram
“One of the GREAT Punk lead stylists. Tom Verlaine was a True Downtown HERO. Saddened & bummed to hear it.”
- Vernon Reid, Twitter
"For me, Marquee Moon was a musical thunderbolt; a perfect album. The range and depth of tributes to Tom Verlaine's passing are testament to his greatness. RIP Tom Verlaine."
- Steve Osborne, Twitter
"Playing this one loud for Tom Verlaine ..."
- Tim Burgess, Twitter
"I saw him a few months ago on the street outside the Chelsea Hotel, I cried out “Tom Verlaine, I love you, thank you!” I’m sure glad I did. God bless and safe passage. 💔 ."
- Chloe Sevigny, Instagram
'Awfully saddened by the passing of Tom Verlaine, whose music sought entirely new vernaculars for emotive expression.'
- The Pastels, Twitter
'I remember how the darkness doubled ....'
- Primal Scream, Instagram
'While there are many guitar players whom we admire, there are very few whose work informed our approach to playing and writing. Tom Verlaine was one of those guitarists. It was not only his serpentine style — jagged yet shimmering, capable of story-like melodies — but also how he played in conversation with his bandmate and fellow guitarist, Richard Lloyd. The intertwining of notes, completing each other’s sentences, toying with consonance and dissonance, beautifully colliding then breaking away; telling us so much without a single word.
While Marquee Moon was seminal, Adventure burrowed deeper. I can’t think of a song that informed the entirety of our guitar playing on The Hot Rock than ‘Days.’ Thank you, Tom Verlaine, for guiding us. May you rest in peace. ‘Days, be more than all we have.’
- Sleater-Kinney, Instagram
'No. Not Tom Verlaine. 💔 .'
- Garbage, Twitter
'Goodnight Tom Verlaine. 💔 '
- Ladytron, Twitter
📺 R.I.P.