He wasn't the original drummer of the New York Dolls, but Jerry Nolan played on the only two studio albums issued during the Dolls' brief and volatile career. Born in 1946 in Brooklyn, NY, Nolan traveled around as a youngster due to his stepfather being a U.S. soldier. It was during a stay over in Hawaii that Nolan saw an early performance by Elvis Presley, which served as a musical inspiration for the future. As a teenager, Nolan began playing the drums as his family moved back to his birthplace (where Nolan also began serving in street gangs). The late '60s saw Nolan drum in his first bands, including a group that featured future N.Y. Doll Syl Sylvain, while befriending another local budding drummer, Peter Crisscoula (aka Peter Criss, who would later man the skins for Kiss).
Sylvain left his group with Nolan to form the Dolls, who by 1972 had built an incredible following in New York City with their androgynous image and trashy Stones-esque party rock.
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