Billy Murcia (October 9, 1951 â€" November 6, 1972) was the original
drummer for the New York Dolls.He was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and
raised in Jackson Heights, New York, USA.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. In an attempt to revive him he was put in
a bathtub and force-fed coffee, which resulted in asphyxiation and
death. He died before the New York Dolls recorded their first album
and was later replaced by Jerry Nolan in 1973. The final gig of their
tour, at the Manchester Hardrock, was canceled, and the band flew back
to New York City. Murcia can be heard playing live with the New York
Dolls on Lipstick Killers: The Mercer Street Sessions.
drummer for the New York Dolls.He was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and
raised in Jackson Heights, New York, USA.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. In an attempt to revive him he was put in
a bathtub and force-fed coffee, which resulted in asphyxiation and
death. He died before the New York Dolls recorded their first album
and was later replaced by Jerry Nolan in 1973. The final gig of their
tour, at the Manchester Hardrock, was canceled, and the band flew back
to New York City. Murcia can be heard playing live with the New York
Dolls on Lipstick Killers: The Mercer Street Sessions.
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