Singer and bass guitarist in the Neon Boys and Television with schoolfriend Tom Verlaine, NYC mid-to late 1970's. Credited by many with inventing the "look" of punk rock - ripped clothes, spiky hair etc, he claims influenced by a portrait of French poet Arthur Rimbaud. Expelled from Television for musical incompetence/independent thought (delete to taste) he briefly joined the Heartbreakers with ex New York Doll Johnny Thunders before forming his own band, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, with Robert Quine, Ivan Julian (guitars), Marc Bell (aka Marky Ramone, drums).