Arthur Kane
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arthur Kane (February 3, 1949 - July 13, 2004) was a musician and librarian best known as the bassist for the pioneering glam punk band the New York Dolls. He stated in the 2004 documentary film New York Doll that his nickname, Arthur "Killer" Kane, was inspired by the old Buck Rogers comic strip's villainous character Killer Kane. Kane remained part of the Dolls from their founding until he was forced out of the group shortly after the departure of Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan, and joined them for a reunion show in 2004, which was the subject of the aforementioned 2004 documentary New York Doll. Singer/songwriter Robyn Hitchcock wrote a tribute to Kane, "N.Y. Doll", for his 2006 album Ole! Tarantula.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Arthur was born in New York to Erna and Harold Kane and grew up in the Bronx. His mother died when he was a young man and his difficult relationship with his father went downhill. Kane first played bass in the band Actress along the other original New York Dolls except David Johansen: Johnny Thunders, Rick Rivets and Billy Murcia.
[edit] The New York Dolls
At a time when many rock performers sought notoriety through their on-stage antics, Kane gained fame for his motionless performances, with some calling him "the only living statue in rock-and-roll."
[edit] Post-Dolls
After the Dolls broke up, Kane collaborated with Blackie Lawless from W.A.S.P. on a project dubbed Killer Kane, which resulted in the single "Mr. Cool". "Lawless" was an old friend from the Bronx and had replaced Johnny Thunders during the ill fated Florida tour in 1975. He also took part in such short-lived efforts as The Idols (with Jerry Nolan) and The Corpse Grinders (with Rick Rivets). He backed Johnny Thunders on a few tours in the 80's. One by one, these projects failed, and Kane began to feel that there was no longer any place in the music business for him, and that what little material success he had achieved with the Dolls was to be the high water mark of his career. He saw himself living in poverty and obscurity for the rest of his life. As this bitter realization gripped him, band after band directly inspired by the Dolls catapulted to stardom, and the other members of the Dolls continued their careers unabated. Lead singer of the Dolls, David Johansen, who Kane viewed as a rival, found success as "Buster Poindexter".
As a result, Kane grew frustrated with music, and gave up playing guitar. He relocated from New York City to Los Angeles, but he could not escape his regrets. His envy and creative block, coupled with alcoholism, drug addiction, and the breakdown of his marriage, lead to a deepening depression. One day, after seeing Johansen on TV in Scrooged and believing that his former band-mate had found success not only as a musician but also as an actor, Kane attempted suicide by jumping out the second-floor kitchen window of his apartment.
Kane surprised all who knew him when, in 1989, he found religion and joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Kane remained a faithful Mormon until his death, working as a librarian in the Family History Center (genealogy library) at the Los Angeles Temple.
[edit] New York Doll and reunion
In the early 2000s, Kane met filmmaker Greg Whiteley through his work with the Latter-day Saints, and the two became friends. Whiteley had the idea of chronicling Kane's life in a documentary, and, in 2004, Morrissey gave the project impetus when he offered Kane an opportunity to perform a reunion show with the Dolls in London as part of his Meltdown Festival. Whiteley filmed Kane's experiences preparing for the performance, which was for Kane the culmination of a nearly 30 year dream. In the process of preparing for the concert, Kane bought his guitar back from a pawn shop with money borrowed from fellow Mormons, reconciled with Johansen, and put together a stage outfit befitting Joseph Smith, Jr. Whiteley's footage resulted in the 2005 Sundance featured documentary New York Doll. His sudden death in 2004 ended any hopes for a reunion tour.
[edit] Death and legacy
On July 13th, 2004, just weeks after the reunion concert, Kane thought he had caught a flu in London, and checked himself in to a Los Angeles emergency room, complaining of fatigue. He was quickly diagnosed with leukemia, and died within two hours. David Johansen wrote of Kane's death: "It's good to know that he went out on a high point in his musical life but he will be sorely missed." Annual tributes to Kane's lasting memory and influence are held at the Continental in New York City.
