Jerry Nolan
| Jerry Nolan | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Gerard Nolan |
| Born | May 7, 1946 Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City |
| Died | January 14, 1992 (aged 45) New York City |
| Genres |
Punk rock rock and roll |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, drummer |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Associated acts | New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, Cradle, The Idols, The London Cowboys |
Gerard "Jerry" Nolan (May 7, 1946 – January 14, 1992) was an American rock drummer, best known for his work with the New York Dolls and Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers.
A native of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Nolan joined the New York Dolls in the autumn of 1972 to replace Billy Murcia, who had died of asphyxiation 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 was also a childhood friend of Kiss drummer Peter Criss, who also auditioned for the 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 albums (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. In 1976, The Heartbreakers were invited to tour with the Sex Pistols on their infamous "Anarchy in the U.K." tour which also included support from The Clash and The Damned. Soon after the tour, The Heartbreakers took up permanent residence in London and played many shows throughout 1976–1977. Nolan quit the band soon after they released their only studio album, L.A.M.F. in October 1977 because he felt the album was poorly mixed. Nolan still continued to play with The Heartbreakers, but as a "hired drummer" until the end of 1977.
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