Sylvain Sylvain, the New York Dolls’ punk icon and guitarist, whose riffs filled the gap between punk and glam, died on Wednesday. He was 69 years old. The musician, who also contributed bass, piano and songwriting to the innovative band’s first two albums, was battling cancer.
“As many of you know, Sylvain has battled cancer for the past two and a half years,” wrote his wife, Wanda O’Kelley Mizrahi, in a statement on her Facebook page. “Although he fought bravely, yesterday he died of this disease. While we mourn his loss, we know that he is finally at peace and without pain. Turn up his music, light a candle, say a prayer and let’s send this beautiful doll away. “
The 1973 group’s eponymous debut album remains a landmark in rock music, with Rolling Stone nominating him for the list of the 500 best albums of all time. “Glamorous punkers, the New York Dolls, stole riffs from Chuck Berry and Fats Domino and put on weight with a lot of attitude and reverberation,” we wrote at the time. “Produced by Todd Rundgren, songs like ‘Personality Crisis’ and ‘Bad Girl’ drip with sloppiness and style … It’s hard to imagine the Ramones or the Replacements or thousands of other trash bands without them.”
Born Sylvain Mizrahi in Cairo, Egypt, his family moved to France before settling in New York. He was a member of the band Actress with Arthur Kane, Johnny Thunders and Billy Murcia before cofounding the New York Dolls in 1971. While serving as the group’s guitarist, his first two albums – New york dolls and 1974 Too much and too soon – presented his bass, piano and compositional contributions.
While the band’s lineup changed over the years, Sylvain and lead singer David Johansen remained until their dissolution in 1977.
“His role in the band was the focal point, keeping his bandmates’ rotating satellites accurate,” Lenny Kaye wrote in a letter accompanying the announcement of Sylvain’s death. “Although he bravely tried to keep the band playing, in the end the Dolls’ moral fable overwhelmed them, not before sowing an influence that would engender many generations of rock to come.”
After the band split, Sylvain worked on several solo projects, joined other artists and launched Criminals with Bobby Blain, Michael Page and Tony Machine. His solo work included his self-titled debut in 1979 Syl Sylvain and the tears and 1998 Sleeping doll.
Sylvain met with the New York Dolls in 2004 and was part of their final three albums, One day it will please us to remember even this, Because I Sez So and Dancing backwards in high heels. He was also a member of Batusis, which released an EP in 2010, and in 2016 he performed at South by Southwest.
“The New York Dolls heralded the future, made it easier to dance,” continued Kaye. “From the moment I saw your poster first appear on the wall of the Village Oldies in 1972, announcing a residence at the Mercer Hotel on the same street, during its meteoric rise and shooting star on fire, the New York Dolls were the warm center that song that we salute, the band that makes you want to form a band.
“Syl never stopped. In his solo salvation, he was welcomed all over the world, from England to Japan, but mainly in the rock dens of New York, which is where I met him a few years ago at Bowery Electric. Still Syl. Her corkscrew curls, bouncing tirelessly, exulting in living her dream, asking the crowd to sing along, and we will do so. Their twin names, mirrored, become knots.
“A group is made up of people who start there in some basement,” Mizrahi told Quietus in 2018. “They are bored with what life is all about and suddenly someone says, ‘Let’s do a show! ‘”What are we going to do as a stage curtain?” – I’ll use my mother’s sheet. ‘What are we going to do for makeup?’ – I’ll get this from my girlfriend’s purse. I think it’s about performance. Performance is what all these musicians are about. “
Wanda O’Kelley Mizrahi account Rolling Stone that Mizrahi, who lived in Nashville, will be buried in New York. “Thank you Sylvain x 2, for your heart, belief and the way you hit that E chord,” concluded Kaye. “Sleeping doll.”
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