Sylvain Sylvain

Sylvain Sylvain studied at Newtown High School. The recorded working language is English. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are glam rock, proto-punk, punk rock and glam punk. Work by Sylvain Sylvain is recorded in the collections of Arthur Freedman Collection.

• Name — Sylvain Sylvain • Birth Name — Sylvain Mizrahi • Birthplace — Cairo, Egypt • Born — 14 February 1951 • Died — 13 January 2021 • Place of death — Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. • Origin — New York City, U.S. • Instrument — * Guitar • vocals • piano • Genre — * Glam rock • protopunk • punk rock • glam punk • Occupation — * Musician • Years Active — 1971–2021 • Past Member Of — * New York Dolls • The Criminals

Sylvain was born in Cairo, Egypt, to a Syrian Jewish family, who fled in the 1950s due to the Suez Crisis, first to France and finally to New York, United States. They lived first on Lafayette Avenue in Buffalo, New York, but later moved to the New York City neighborhood of Rego Park, Queens, while he was still a child. Sylvain had dyslexia. He attended Newtown High School in Queens and Quintano's School for Young Professionals in Manhattan. Prior to joining the New York Dolls, Sylvain and future New York Doll bandmate Billy Murcia ran a clothing company called "Truth and Soul", which helped define his fashion sense and would play a role in the band's groundbreaking look. He had one brother, Leon (deceased), and one sister, Brigitte.

• Illustration — Sylvain Sylvain (second from left) and the New York Dolls on TopPop television program, 1973 Before joining the New York Dolls in 1971, Sylvain was a member of the band Actress, which also featured Arthur Kane, Johnny Thunders and former fashion partner Billy Murcia. He played rhythm guitar for the Dolls from 1971 until the group's dissolution in 1977. Sylvain and singer David Johansen were the last remaining members at the time the group broke up for the final time. After the first dissolution of the Dolls, he frequently played with Johansen on some of his solo records. He started his own band, The Criminal$, with another ex-Doll, Tony Machine, and continued to play the New York club scene. He landed a solo recording contract with RCA, and released one album with Lee Crystal (drums; later of Joan Jett's Blackhearts) and Johnny Ráo (guitar). He moved to Los Angeles in the early 1990s and recorded one record, (Sleep) Baby Doll, for Fishhead Records. His bandmates on this record were: Brian Keats, drums, John Carlucci, bass, and Oliver LeBaron on lead guitar, with guest appearances by Frank Infante of Blondie and Derwood Andrews of Generation X. In the late '90s he teamed up with the Los Angeles punk band the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs for some touring and they recorded a live radio broadcast on KXLU that remains unreleased. The tour ended with an Atlanta show at the Navarre annual conference co-headlining with John Entwistle. In 2004 he reunited with the surviving members of the New York Dolls, along with Steve Conte, Brian Koonin and Brian Delaney. Arthur Kane, who died in 2004, was replaced by Sami Yaffa of Hanoi Rocks. They released three records: One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This (2005), Cause I Sez So (2009), and Dancing Backward in High Heels (2011). The reunion was filmed as part of a documentary on former band member Kane that was released in 2005 as New York Doll. On March 18, 2010, at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, Sylvain and Cheetah Chrome of Dead Boys and Rocket from the Tombs debuted their new band, the Batusis. Their EP is on Smog Veil Records. In November 2012, Sylvain posted a video for his new single, "Leaving New York", on the Internet, and available on iTunes on December 2, 2012. In 2013 and 2014 Sylvain joined with Glen Matlock as the Sex Doll Tour. In 2015, Sylvain emerged with a new band called Sylvain Sylvain and the Sylvains from Austin, Texas, consisting of Chris Alaniz (drums), Jason "Ginchy" Kottwitz (guitar), and Gabriel Von Asher (bass). In March 2016, they performed at South by Southwest. In 2018, Sylvain joined Steve Conte, Sami Yaffa, and Robert Eriksson for two one-off dates in Tokyo as The Dolls. They played at Shinjuku Marz on February 11, and Shimokitazawa Garden on February 12.

After living in Atlanta for several years, Sylvain moved to Nashville in 2015. On April 27, 2019, Sylvain announced that he had cancer. He set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to help pay for treatment. He died from cancer at his home on January 13, 2021, at age 69.

• New York Dolls (1973, Mercury Records) • Too Much Too Soon (1974, Mercury Records) • The Return of the New York Dolls: Live from Royal Festival Hall (2004, Attack Records) • One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This (2006, Roadrunner Records) • Cause I Sez So (2009, Atco Records) • Tokyo Dolls Live (credited to 'David and Sylvain') – a live album by the Dolls line-up of Johansen and Sylvain with Peter Jordan/Chris Robison/Tony Machine. French Fan Club/New Rose. • Red Patent Leather – live album of McLaren-era Dolls allegedly produced by Sylvain, with original manager Marty Thau credited as Executive Producer • Dancing Backward in High Heels (2011, 429 Records)

• Sylvain Sylvain (1980, RCA Records – No. 123 Billboard 200) • Sleep Baby Doll (1998, Fishhead Records) • Leaving New York single (2012, self-released)

• Syl Sylvain and the Teardrops (1981, RCA Records)

• 78 Criminals (1985, Fan Club) • Bowery Butterflies (2000, Munster Records)

• Sheena Is a Punk Rocker single (2007, Poptown Records)

• Batusis EP (2010, Smog Veil Records)

• This Is It Single (1984, Body Rock)

• River City Rebels, Hate To Be Loved album (2004, Victory Records). 'Motorcycle Boy', 'Popsicle' album (1991, Triple X Records).