The recent passing of Bowie brought back to mind the rise of "Glitter Rock" in the 1970s. There was one US band who were pioneers not only in "Glitter" but, also, as an archetype for the punk bands that followed in the late 70s and early 80s. This band was cited by many UK punk bands as being an influence, along with the Ramones who formed in NY a year or two after this band debuted. I first became aware of this band in 1973 when they made their first Los Angeles appearance at the Whisky-a-Go-Go. I saw a longish line outside the club and, curious and bored, I got in line to see what the buzz was about. Remember, at the time the LA music scene has fallen into the sort of rock/country/folk mishmash of the type exemplified by Poco, America, Linda Ronstadt, et, al. Imagine the shocked look on the faces of the Whiskey's regular clientele when they got a load of this:
Probably one of the most influential bands of its time and way overlooked, The New York Dolls. The lead singer, David Johansen, later went on to some fame as his alter ego, singer Buster Poindexter, and had a modest acting career. The lead guitarist, Johnny Thunders, had a solo career and formed the band Heartbreakers; sadly, his battles with addiction lead to his death. So, for all of you who hated the punk bands or the "hair metal" bands of the 80s, here is the source of your ire. For those of us who got to see the Dolls live, we are thankful they woke up rock and roll and gave it a kick in the pants...
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