The Dolls emerged in 1971, years before the punk and glam movement set the charts on both sides of the Atlantic.
Over time, the lineup changed, substance abuse destroyed the bandmates, but the Dolls’ reputation grew exponentially. In fact, after Sylvain’s death, only one member survived from the original lineup for his 1973 self-titled debut album, lead singer Johansen. New york dolls remains his most successful album on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 116.
Like their colleagues The Velvet Underground and The Stooges, the New York Dolls have flirted with commercial success on a large scale, but their influence is profound, with bands from Sex Pistols, Ramones, Guns N ‘Roses, Damned and The Smiths, all said to have inspired by NY clothing.
Sylvain and the NY Dolls put together five studio sets, Dancing backwards in high heels falling in 2011.
To this day, they are considered by rock music aficionados and historians as one of the great affronts of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“His role in the band was supportive, keeping his bandmates’ rotating satellites accurate,” reports fellow guitarist Lenny Kaye and a longtime member of the Patti Smith Group. “Although he bravely tried to keep the band going, in the end the Dolls’ moral fable dominated them, not before sowing an influence that would engender many generations of rock yet to come.”
Outside of Dolls, Sylvain toured and recorded with several bands and led several solo projects.
In 2019, he announced his cancer diagnosis and a GoFundMe was created to pay his medical bills, raising about $ 79,500.