Billy Murcia
Encyclopedia
Billy Murcia, born in Bogotá
, Colombia
and raised in Jackson Heights, New York, was the original drummer for the New York Dolls
.
Billy Murcia and Sylvain Sylvain
both attended Quintano's School for Young Professionals, in the late sixties. It was at Quintano's that they met Johnny Thunders
, also a student there. They made their musical debut in 1967, in a band called "The Pox".
They owned and co-managed a clothing business called "Truth and Soul". Murcia was a fundamental ingredient of the original New York Dolls sound and played during their now-legendary series of weekly shows at the Mercer Arts Center
.
While on a brief tour of England in 1972, Murcia was invited to a party, where he passed out from an accidental overdose. He was put in a bathtub and force-fed coffee, in an attempt to revive him, which resulted in asphyxiation and death. He died before the New York Dolls recorded their first record. The final gig of the their tour, at the Manchester Hardrock, was canceled, and the band flew back to New York
. Murcia can be heard playing live with the New York Dolls on Lipstick Killers: The Mercer Street Sessions
.
Johnny Thunders
wrote a song called "Billy Boy", in honor of his friend and former band member.
The song "Time
", from David Bowie
's Aladdin Sane
album, is about Murcia and his untimely demise.
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and raised in Jackson Heights, New York, was the original drummer for the New York Dolls
New York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
.
Billy Murcia and Sylvain Sylvain
Sylvain Sylvain
Sylvain Sylvain is an American rock guitarist, most notable for being a member of the New York Dolls.-Early years:...
both attended Quintano's School for Young Professionals, in the late sixties. It was at Quintano's that they met Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr. , was an American protopunk guitarist, singer and songwriter.He came to prominence in the early '70s as a member of the New York Dolls...
, also a student there. They made their musical debut in 1967, in a band called "The Pox".
They owned and co-managed a clothing business called "Truth and Soul". Murcia was a fundamental ingredient of the original New York Dolls sound and played during their now-legendary series of weekly shows at the Mercer Arts Center
Mercer Arts Center
The Mercer Arts Center was a group of live theaters on Mercer Street in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, and was part of the Broadway Central Hotel until its collapse on August 3, 1973....
.
While on a brief tour of England in 1972, Murcia was invited to a party, where he passed out from an accidental overdose. He was put in a bathtub and force-fed coffee, in an attempt to revive him, which resulted in asphyxiation and death. He died before the New York Dolls recorded their first record. The final gig of the their tour, at the Manchester Hardrock, was canceled, and the band flew back to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Murcia can be heard playing live with the New York Dolls on Lipstick Killers: The Mercer Street Sessions
Lipstick Killers The Mercer Street Sessions 1972
Lipstick Killers - The Mercer Street Sessions 1972 is a 1981 album of demos by the New York Dolls. The songs on here were later re-recorded for New York Dolls, except for "Don't Start Me Talking" and "Human Being" which were later re-recorded for Too Much Too Soon and "Don't Mess with Cupid", which...
.
Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr. , was an American protopunk guitarist, singer and songwriter.He came to prominence in the early '70s as a member of the New York Dolls...
wrote a song called "Billy Boy", in honor of his friend and former band member.
The song "Time
Time (David Bowie song)
"Time" is a song by David Bowie. Written in New Orleans in November 1972 during the American leg of his first Ziggy Stardust tour, it was released as the opening track on Side Two of the album Aladdin Sane in April 1973...
", from David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
's Aladdin Sane
Aladdin Sane
Aladdin Sane is the sixth album by David Bowie, released by RCA Records in 1973 . The follow-up to his breakthrough The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, it was the first album Bowie wrote and released as a bona fide rock star...
album, is about Murcia and his untimely demise.