Pitchfork

Photo by Godlis

Sad news on several fronts from the camp that brought you Marquee Moon and some three decades of on-and-off rock excellence. Television guitarist Richard Lloyd-- having already announced his intentions to leave the band-- has been hospitalized for nearly a month now with pneumonia.

As of a June 1 posting on Lloyd's website, the man had been in an intensive care unit at an unspecified hospital for eight days. "This has responded to treatment and he has shown some improvement and is now free of the breathing apparatus," the post said.

Lloyd had revealed prior (in the third person) that his June 16 performance with Television at Central Park SummerStage would be his last with the band. Another Lloyd-signed post read, "After the possible SummerStage show, Richard Lloyd will, after 34 years, be amicably severing all ties with the band Television, in order that he may concentrate his magnetic force and supernatural energies upon his own career in support of his forthcoming record, due out in the fall."

Lloyd did not, however, appear this past weekend with Television. According to several reports, Television frontman Tom Verlaine disclosed during the band's set that Lloyd is still in fact in the hospital.

It remains to be seen whether Lloyd-- provided he receives a clean bill of health anytime soon-- will wish to reschedule his last hurrah with Television, or simply move on and focus on his own band, the Sufi Monkeys.

As Lloyd would have it, however, Television would be kaput after this weekend.

"To the fans of Television," wrote Lloyd in his valedictory message, "from the very first show at the townhouse Theatre on March 4, 1974 till the hopeful last show here in New York at the SummerStage...thank you for your support over these many years. I hope to see you follow both my own and the other members of the band in their own solo efforts for many more years to come."

Thanks to reader Asif Siddiqi for the tip.