Richard Lloyd, guitarist and founding member of the influential punk band Television, has been diagnosed with bile-duct cancer, a rare and aggressive form of the disease. According to a GoFundMe campaign launched by his bandmate Sean Seymour, Lloyd was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma in March. The 74-year-old musician has tumors in his liver, including one positioned near a major blood vessel that prevents doctors from performing surgical intervention at this time.
Lloyd’s health situation has been severe, requiring seven intensive care unit admissions for complications including sepsis, kidney issues, and liver problems. His wife, Sheila O’Keefe, has left her job to provide full-time care. Unable to perform or tour, Lloyd has lost his primary income source, while simultaneously facing substantial medical bills and outstanding royalty payments. The GoFundMe campaign aims to raise $80,000 for medical expenses and living costs, with nearly $48,000 donated as of late August.
Several prominent musicians have supported Lloyd’s fundraising efforts, including punk icon Patti Smith, who contributed $5,000 in recognition of his musical legacy. Additional donations came from The Go-Go’s bassist Kathy Valentine, Violent Femmes’ Brian Ritchie, and Susan Tweedy, wife of Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy. Lloyd’s diagnosis comes as Television, which formed in New York in 1973, recently disbanded following the death of frontman Tom Verlaine last year.
Originally reported by Rollingstone →
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