They played it near the end of their show at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, a place not especially known as a hotbed of New York Dolls fandom. Guns N’ Roses latest European tour is about to start.

In 1973, the readers of Creem magazine voted New York Dolls the year’s Best New Band. They also voted them the year’s Worst New Band. The poll succinctly captured the polarizing effect of the ...

Born Jan. 9, 1950 in the New York City borough of Staten Island, Johansen performed with local bands before joining what was then known as the Dolls in 1971 as their singer and songwriter.

The New York Dolls’ meager success would dwindle just as quickly as it came. By the time 1974’s Too Much Too Soon came around, they were all but forgotten — eclipsed by less polarizing bands.

The 1970s band The New York Dolls made only two studio albums, but the group was hugely influential, setting the stage for punk rock. We listen back to Terry Gross' 2004 interview with the band's ...