mg196
11-01-2005, 11:23 AM
Jerry Nolan was the drummer for the New York Dolls and The Heartbreakers and pal to Johnny Thunders for 20 years. Before the Dolls, he was buddies with Peter Criss, the "cat dude" from KISS (Nolan is on the right):
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/5722/jerrypeter09038yn.jpg
Peter Criss said the following about Nolan:
"Many drummers come and go. Jerry Nolan was my dearest and closest friend in the whole wide world we grew up together as kids to grown ups, although we never grew up. Jerry started playing a few years ahead of me. He had this beautiful set of red sparkle Ludwig's. I had a snare drum that didn't work and a pair of sticks. He showed me a couple of beats to work on, then I got my set. He was lefty and I am right handed, so before I could afford a tomtom, we would share it when we played together. A lot about Jerry and me is in my book. The only way Jerry played was with "BALLS" when he would finish playing a set you could ring him out, like a wet mop. He played all from the heart. Jerry was a "give-it-all-you-got-every-song" guy. All the way. He was solid as a rock. He was the original drummer for "The New York Dolls." He was ahead of his times. He played a pink set of drums: "Hot Pink." He was always a star. I could go on and on and I do in my book.
The New York Dolls started "Glam Rock" and "Punk." They were ahead of their times, All us NY bands loved them, and a lot of us emulated them, including "KISS." We even opened for them one time. There will never be another Jerry Nolan. He died of spinal meningitis at 42. Not a day goes by I don't miss him. His star is the shiniest, I miss you, my friend. If you can get any music or old videos of the Dolls, get it! If you play from the heart, you've missed one of the greats."
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/5722/jerrypeter09038yn.jpg
Peter Criss said the following about Nolan:
"Many drummers come and go. Jerry Nolan was my dearest and closest friend in the whole wide world we grew up together as kids to grown ups, although we never grew up. Jerry started playing a few years ahead of me. He had this beautiful set of red sparkle Ludwig's. I had a snare drum that didn't work and a pair of sticks. He showed me a couple of beats to work on, then I got my set. He was lefty and I am right handed, so before I could afford a tomtom, we would share it when we played together. A lot about Jerry and me is in my book. The only way Jerry played was with "BALLS" when he would finish playing a set you could ring him out, like a wet mop. He played all from the heart. Jerry was a "give-it-all-you-got-every-song" guy. All the way. He was solid as a rock. He was the original drummer for "The New York Dolls." He was ahead of his times. He played a pink set of drums: "Hot Pink." He was always a star. I could go on and on and I do in my book.
The New York Dolls started "Glam Rock" and "Punk." They were ahead of their times, All us NY bands loved them, and a lot of us emulated them, including "KISS." We even opened for them one time. There will never be another Jerry Nolan. He died of spinal meningitis at 42. Not a day goes by I don't miss him. His star is the shiniest, I miss you, my friend. If you can get any music or old videos of the Dolls, get it! If you play from the heart, you've missed one of the greats."