TV on the Radio announced on its website that its bassist, Gerard Smith, died on Wednesday of lung cancer at the age of 36. "We are very sad to announce the death of our beloved friend and band mate, Gerard Smith, following a courageous fight against lung cancer," the group's message says. "Gerard passed away the morning of April 20th, 2011. We will miss him terribly."
Smith's cancer diagnosis was first announced in mid-March, shortly after the group had recorded their new album, Nine Types of Light, which was released last week. Band members had been optimistic about Smith recovering and said they were seeing "dramatic results" from his treatments. Smith's cancer prevented him from joining the band on its current tour.
Smith joined TV on the Radio back in 2005 and contributed to their third and fourth albums, Return to Cookie Mountain (2006) and Dear Science (2008).
The band announced that it would be canceling its upcoming shows in Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis and Denver, with more information soon to follow.
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