Overview
- Smith died on February 5, 2026, with the news publicly shared the next day by longtime collaborator Jimmy Rip.
- His wife, Paula Cereghino, confirmed the date of death to the New York Times and noted his long battle with cancer, with multiple outlets reporting cancer complications.
- Smith began with Angel and the Snake, a precursor to Blondie, before joining Television in 1975 to replace Richard Hell.
- He anchored Television’s landmark 1977 album Marquee Moon, later reuniting with the band in 1992 and touring into the 2000s.
- Beyond Television, he worked with Tom Verlaine, Richard Lloyd, the Roches, Willie Nile, Peregrins, the Revelons, and the Fleshtones, and he later co-founded the Cereghino Smith vineyard in the Hudson Valley; he is survived by his wife and his brother.