TV On The Radio bass player Gerard Smith has died at the age 34 after losing his battle with lung cancer, the band have announced.
The news comes just a short time after his illness was made public, when a message on TV On The Radio’s official website said: “Gerard has been undergoing treatment and will be unable to participate in the upcoming tour … is fortunate enough to have health insurance and is receiving excellent medical care. We appreciate your concern and support for Gerard and his family.”
Now, the official website has broken the news of Smith’s untimely death, revealing he passed away yesterday morning.
“We are very sad to announce the death of our beloved friend and bandmate, Gerard Smith, following a courageous fight against lung cancer,” the statement reads. “Gerard passed away the morning of April 20th, 2011. We will miss him terribly.”
Remaining TV On The Radio US tour dates in Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis and Denver have all been cancelled.