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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