Died On This Date (July 13, 2004) Arthur “Killer” Kane / New York Dolls
themusicsover Arthur Kane
February 3, 1949 – July 13, 2004
Arthur “Killer” Kane was the original bassist for the New York Dolls, the ’70s glam proto-punk band that unknowingly launched thousands of bands in their fiery wake. Just after graduating high school, Kane joined Actress, a group that consisted of future Dolls, Billy Murcia, Johnny Thunders and Rick Rivets. When Thunders grew tired of being lead singer, David Johansen came on board and the band was rechristened, New York Dolls. Sylvain Sylvain soon followed. Influenced equally by American R&B, punk, early Rolling Stones and the Detroit rock of the Stooges and MC5, the Dolls, delivered a sonic blast of primitive rock ‘n roll and a dynamic stage show fronted by the wild antics of Johansen. And as in-your-face as Johansen was, Kane stood stoic by his side, earning the tagline, “the only living statue in rock-and-roll.” In 1975, Thunders and Nolan left and Kane was fired, leading to the break-up of the band. Not really able to get much going post-Dolls, Kane moved to Los Angeles and for the most part, moved on from music. In the late ’80s, Kane became a Mormon and eventually found work in their Family History Center at their Los Angeles temple. In 2004, Morrissey offered the surviving Dolls (Kane, Sylvain, and Johansen) a slot at the Meltdown Festival in London. The band reunited, for the show and went on to record their first album in over 30 years. Sadly, just three weeks after the Meltdown show, Kane went to a Los Angeles hospital believing he caught the flu on the trip. He learned he actually had leukemia and was dead within a few hours. A fascinating and heartfelt documentary entitled New York Doll chronicles Kane’s post Doll’s life and his reunion with the band.
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Jonathan Melvoin was a keyboard player who worked with such artists as the Dickies, Prince, Wendy & Lisa, and the Smashing Pumpkins. The “Wendy” of Wendy & Lisa was in fact, his sister, Wendy Melvoin. In late 1995, Melvoin joined up with Smashing Pumpkins to lend his talent while on the road to support their brilliant Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness album, but previous incidents with heroin cut his tenure short when the band fired him. It was while he was finishing up that leg of the tour that Melvoin overdosed on heroin in his hotel room. It has been reported that then-Pumpkins drummer, Jimmy Chamberlin was in the room with him and tried to revive him after calling 911. His efforts failed and Jonathan Melvoin died on July 12, 1996 at the age of 34. His death reportedly inspired a few songs, including Sarah McLachlan’s hit, “Angel.”
Chris Wood was not only a founding member of English rock band, Traffic, he was good enough to play alongside the great 
Herman Brood was a popular Dutch rock musician, TV host, and painter who was called by at least one critic, “the Netherlands’ greatest and only rock ‘n’ roll star.” He achieved his musical fame during the ’70s and ’80s and became equally revered for his art work later in life. After tooling around in a few different bands and spending some time in jail for drug dealing, Brood started his own group, Herman Brood & the Wild Romance. The year was 1976, and Brood was quickly becoming famous – and equally infamous – for his sexually charged and drug fueled lyrics, as well as his candid and eyebrow-raising comments on those same topics in the press. Meanwhile his hard drug use was becoming legendary throughout the Netherlands. His then-girlfriend, Nina Hagen even released a song entitled “Herrmann Hiess Er” (“Herrmann Is High”) , reportedly about him. In 1979, Brood enjoyed a small bump when he toured the U.S. with the Cars, the Kinks, and Foreigner. During the ’80s and early ’90s, he recorded several albums, but soon began devoting most of his energy to visual arts. His dynamic and sometimes graffitti-inspired prints became very popular throughout Europe, while many of his murals found homes on public walls throughout Amsterdam. By the summer of 1991, Brood was apparently depressed over his inability to kick drugs and how their abuse had impared his health. On July 11, 2001, Herman Brood leaped to his death from the roof of the Amsterdam Hilton. He was 56.
