Jerry Nolan
Encyclopedia
Jerry Nolan was an American
rock
drummer
, best known for his work with The New York Dolls and Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers
.
, Nolan joined The New York Dolls in the autumn of 1972 to replace Billy Murcia
, who had died of asphixiation in a failed attempt to revive him from a drug overdose while on tour in England
, early in the band's career. The Dolls got a record deal with Mercury Records
in 1973. Nolan also was a childhood friend of Peter Criss
(KISS
' original drummer) who auditioned for The New York Dolls at the same time. He previously played with Wayne (Jayne) County's
"Queen Elizabeth", Billy Squier
's "Kicks" and was the only male member of Suzi Quatro
's Detroit-based band Cradle. Jerry was drumming for the power trio "Shaker", a New York band that frequently opened for the Dolls, when he was recruited to replace Billy. Nolan played on the Dolls´ first two album
s (New York Dolls
and Too Much Too Soon
).
After much internal fighting and a short stint under the helm of future Sex Pistols
manager Malcolm McLaren
, Nolan left the Dolls together with Johnny Thunders
in the spring of 1975. The two then placed a call to bassist Richard Hell
, formerly of the Neon Boys
and Television
, to form The Heartbreakers. Soon, Walter Lure was brought into the fold and Hell was replaced by Billy Rath.
Nolan quit the band soon after it released its only studio album, L.A.M.F.
, because he felt the album was poorly mixed. Nolan still continued to play with The Heartbreakers, but as a "hired drummer."
While touring with Johnny Thunders in 1982, Nolan met Charlotte (Lotten) Nedeby, whom he soon married. Nolan would live in Sweden
, off and on, through the 1980s. There he recorded a solo single of two older Heartbreakers' songs, Take A Chance With Me c/w Pretty Baby. Another old Heartbreaker`s song from the same session, Countdown Love, remained unreleased at the time. During his period in Sweden he was also a member of the short-lived Ugly Americans with fellow ex-Doll Sylvain Sylvain
.Johnny Thunders also moved to Sweden with his girlfriend, Susanne, and their collaboration continued periodically, until Thunders' death in 1991.
Nolan outlived his long-time friend by only a few months. During that period he was working on a recording project with singer/songwriter Greg Allen and bassist Chicago Vin Earnshaw. In late 1991, while Nolan was being treated for bacterial meningitis
and bacterial pneumonia
at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York
, he suffered a stroke
and went into a coma
from which he never recovered. He died on January 14, 1992, spending his final weeks on a life support
system.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
, best known for his work with The New York Dolls and Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers
The Heartbreakers
Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, also known as The Heartbreakers, were an American rock & roll band formed in New York in May 1975. The band was part of the first wave of punk rock.-History:...
.
Career
A native of Williamsburg, BrooklynWilliamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
, Nolan joined The New York Dolls in the autumn of 1972 to replace Billy Murcia
Billy Murcia
Billy Murcia, born in Bogotá, Colombia and raised in Jackson Heights, New York, was the original drummer for the New York Dolls.Billy Murcia and Sylvain Sylvain both attended Quintano's School for Young Professionals, in the late sixties. It was at Quintano's that they met Johnny Thunders, also a...
, who had died of asphixiation in a failed attempt to revive him from a drug overdose while on tour in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, early in the band's career. The Dolls got a record deal with Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
in 1973. Nolan also was a childhood friend of Peter Criss
Peter Criss
George Peter John Criscuola , better known as Peter Criss, is an American drummer and singer, best known as the original drummer for the rock band Kiss...
(KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
' original drummer) who auditioned for The New York Dolls at the same time. He previously played with Wayne (Jayne) County's
Jayne County
Jayne County , formerly known as Wayne County, is an American male-to-female transsexual performer, musician and actress whose career has spanned several decades. County would go on to be known as rock's first transsexual singer...
"Queen Elizabeth", Billy Squier
Billy Squier
William Haislip "Billy" Squier is an American rock musician. Squier had a string of arena rock hits in the 1980s. He is best known for the song "The Stroke" on his 1981 album release Don't Say No...
's "Kicks" and was the only male member of Suzi Quatro
Suzi Quatro
Susan Kay "Suzi" Quatro is an American singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor.She scored a string of hit singles in the 1970s that found greater success in Europe and Australia than in her homeland, and had a recurring role on the popular American sitcom Happy Days.-Music:Quatro began her...
's Detroit-based band Cradle. Jerry was drumming for the power trio "Shaker", a New York band that frequently opened for the Dolls, when he was recruited to replace Billy. Nolan played on the Dolls´ first two album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s (New York Dolls
New York Dolls (album)
New York Dolls is the first album released by the American rock band the New York Dolls. The album's protopunk sound is mixed with influences of glam rock and rock & roll. It was produced by ex-Nazz guitarist Todd Rundgren....
and Too Much Too Soon
Too Much Too Soon (album)
Too Much Too Soon, also known as New York Dolls in Too Much Too Soon, is the second album by New York Dolls and the last studio album by the original recording line-up. The album was produced by Shadow Morton, a songwriter and record producer closely associated with the Shangri-Las...
).
After much internal fighting and a short stint under the helm of future Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
manager Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren was an English performer, impresario, self-publicist and manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls...
, Nolan left the Dolls together with Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr. , was an American protopunk guitarist, singer and songwriter.He came to prominence in the early '70s as a member of the New York Dolls...
in the spring of 1975. The two then placed a call to bassist Richard Hell
Richard Hell
Richard Hell is a singer, songwriter, bass guitarist, and writer.Richard Hell was an innovator of punk music and fashion. He was one of the first to spike his hair and wear torn, cut and drawn-on shirts, often held together with safety pins...
, formerly of the Neon Boys
Neon Boys
The Neon Boys was an early 1970s New York City band, composed of Tom Verlaine, Richard Hell, and Billy Ficca. The trio later went on to form the American rock band Television in 1973...
and Television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, to form The Heartbreakers. Soon, Walter Lure was brought into the fold and Hell was replaced by Billy Rath.
Nolan quit the band soon after it released its only studio album, L.A.M.F.
L.A.M.F.
L.A.M.F. is the only studio album by the American band, Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers, which included Jerry Nolan, Walter Lure and Billy Rath. The music is a mixture of punk, R&B and rock and roll. The band played a seminal role in the formation of early punk. Thunders and Nolan were...
, because he felt the album was poorly mixed. Nolan still continued to play with The Heartbreakers, but as a "hired drummer."
While touring with Johnny Thunders in 1982, Nolan met Charlotte (Lotten) Nedeby, whom he soon married. Nolan would live in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, off and on, through the 1980s. There he recorded a solo single of two older Heartbreakers' songs, Take A Chance With Me c/w Pretty Baby. Another old Heartbreaker`s song from the same session, Countdown Love, remained unreleased at the time. During his period in Sweden he was also a member of the short-lived Ugly Americans with fellow ex-Doll Sylvain Sylvain
Sylvain Sylvain
Sylvain Sylvain is an American rock guitarist, most notable for being a member of the New York Dolls.-Early years:...
.Johnny Thunders also moved to Sweden with his girlfriend, Susanne, and their collaboration continued periodically, until Thunders' death in 1991.
Nolan outlived his long-time friend by only a few months. During that period he was working on a recording project with singer/songwriter Greg Allen and bassist Chicago Vin Earnshaw. In late 1991, while Nolan was being treated for bacterial meningitis
Bacterial meningitis
Bacterial meningitis refers to meningitis that is caused by bacterial infection.-Signs and Symptoms:*Fever*Seizures*Meningismus*Headache*Vomiting*Photophobia*Altered mental status and coma*Anorexia...
and bacterial pneumonia
Bacterial pneumonia
Bacterial pneumonia is a type of pneumonia caused by bacterial infection.-Sign and symptoms:*Fever*Rigors*Cough*Dyspnea*Chest pain*Pneumococcal pneumonia can cause Hemoptysis-Gram positive:...
at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, he suffered a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
and went into a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
from which he never recovered. He died on January 14, 1992, spending his final weeks on a life support
Life support
Life support, in medicine is a broad term that applies to any therapy used to sustain a patient's life while they are critically ill or injured. There are many therapies and techniques that may be used by clinicians to achieve the goal of sustaining life...
system.
New York Dolls
- New York Dolls - (1973)
- Too Much Too SoonToo Much Too Soon (album)Too Much Too Soon, also known as New York Dolls in Too Much Too Soon, is the second album by New York Dolls and the last studio album by the original recording line-up. The album was produced by Shadow Morton, a songwriter and record producer closely associated with the Shangri-Las...
- (1974) - Red Patent LeatherRed Patent LeatherRed Patent Leather is a 1984 live album by the earlier disbanded New York Dolls. It was recorded in New York a decade earlier, in March 1975, just a month before the group broke up while on tour in Florida....
- (1984)
The Heartbreakers
- L.A.M.F.L.A.M.F.L.A.M.F. is the only studio album by the American band, Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers, which included Jerry Nolan, Walter Lure and Billy Rath. The music is a mixture of punk, R&B and rock and roll. The band played a seminal role in the formation of early punk. Thunders and Nolan were...
- (1977) - Heartbreaker Live At Max's - 1979
- D.T.K. - Live at the Speakeasy - (1982)
External links
- My Life As A Doll - downloadable Village Voice article by Jerry Nolan