Television was an essential part of my "great awakening" growing up in mid Ohio on a steady diet of FM radio rock Blue Oyster Cult, Rush, Jethro Tull. Of course Iggy and Patti were kicking at the door, but Tom and his Television bandmates - along with the Pistols, Ramones and Damned - busted it wide open. My record collection and car cassette player were never the same, which inspired many roadtrips out of my sleepy backwater to Cleveland, Detroit and NYC to catch performances by the early pioneers of this next phase of "rock" music, though frustratingly not Television. Finally and transcendently did get to see them live decades later in Athens GA in the late 90s and 00s. Exceeded even my hoped-for lofty expectations. Though not as famous or immediately impactful as his peers, Tom inspired many future rock musicians to explore subtlety and lyricism rather than rely solely on speed or force.

Television was an essential part of my "great awakening" growing up in mid Ohio on a steady diet of FM radio rock Blue Oyster Cult, Rush, Jethro Tull. Of course Iggy and Patti were kicking at the door, but Tom and his Television bandmates - along with the Pistols, Ramones and Damned - busted it wide open. My record collection and car cassette player were never the same, which inspired many roadtrips out of my sleepy backwater to Cleveland, Detroit and NYC to catch performances by the early pioneers of this next phase of "rock" music, though frustratingly not Television. Finally and transcendently did get to see them live decades later in Athens GA in the late 90s and 00s. Exceeded even my hoped-for lofty expectations. Though not as famous or immediately impactful as his peers, Tom inspired many future rock musicians to explore subtlety and lyricism rather than rely solely on speed or force.

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