Sylvain Sylvain, the co-founder and guitarist of 1970s rock band New York Dolls, has died.
Sylvain, who had been battling cancer since 2019, breathed his last at the age of 69.
The news was confirmed on his official Facebook page by his wife Wanda O’Kelley Mizrahi on Thursday.
“As most of you know, Sylvain battled cancer for the past two and 1/2 years. Though he fought it valiantly, yesterday he passed away from this disease,” O’Kelley Mizrahi wrote.
She added, “While we grieve his loss, we know that he is finally at peace and out of pain. Please crank up his music, light a candle, say a prayer and let’s send this beautiful doll on his way.
Wanda also shared a tribute by Patti Smith guitarist Lenny Kaye, who described Sylvain as “the heart and soul of the New York Dolls” and “bearer of the Teenage News”.
As he mentioned in the note, Sylvain, an Egyptian, emigrated from his native Cairo with his family in 1961 at the age of 10.
David Johansen, the only surviving member of the New York Dolls’ original line-up, paid tribute on Instagram, saying. “My best friend for so many years, I can still remember the first time I saw him bop into the rehearsal space/bicycle shop with his carpetbag and guitar straight from the plane after having been deported from Amsterdam.”
(Photo: AVRO)
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