New York Dolls guitarist Sylvain Sylvain died of cancer on Wednesday. The news was confirmed on its official Facebook page with a tribute written by Lenny Kaye. He was 69 years old.
In April 2019, Sylvain revealed that the fight against cancer in the last year. He launched a GoFundMe campaign in hopes of covering the medical costs of his treatment.
Sylvain Sylvain was born Sylvain Mizrahi in Cairo. Sylvain’s family fled Egypt after facing anti-Semitism, arriving in New York after a short stay in Paris. He joined the New York Dolls in 1972, after befriending the band’s original drummer, Billy Murcia, at a school in Queens. Sylvain contributed guitar, piano and vocals to Dolls’ first two albums in 1973 New York dolls and 1974 Too much too soon.
Sylvain began a solo career after his tenure with the New York Dolls, releasing his self-titled debut album in 1979. He recorded numerous solo albums until the late 1990s. When the New York Dolls reunited, Sylvain appeared on their latest albums One day we will be happy to remember even that (2006), Because I am like that (2009) and Dancing back in high heels (2011).