Terry Dolan was a singer and songwriter best known as founder and frontman for the ever-evolving Bay Area rock and roll supergroup Terry the Pirates.

Dolan was born and raised in Weston, Connecticut. Deeply influenced by folk-blues and country music, he began playing guitar at 14. He cited his early inspirations as Lead Belly, Hank Williams, Wanda Jackson, and Carl Perkins. While in college he fell under the spell of the Boston folk revival scene in the early '60s, left school, and moved to San Francisco in 1965. Soon after, he was playing clubs; his infectious live energy and original songs attracted larger and larger audiences. Though he played acoustic 12-string guitar, his shows attracted burgeoning rock audiences, which secured him larger gigs, shows at big-name clubs such as Keystone Corner and the Matrix, and opening slots for artists such as Taj Mahal, Blue Cheer, B.B. King, and Elvin Bishop.

Dolan met Country Weather guitarist Greg Douglass during this period. The pair became fast friends and would remain collaborators for life. In 1970, Dolan convinced pianist Nicky Hopkins to produce two demos. With Dan Healy as engineer, Douglass and Quicksilver Messenger Service's John Cipollina on guitars, Hopkins on piano, and other musicians, Dolan cut "Inlaws and Outlaws" and "Angie," the latter written for his wife Angie Tuscana Dolan. "Inlaws and Outlaws" was picked up for airplay by FM stations KSAN and KPMX and began to garner regional attention. Departing DJs took the singer's tapes with them to other stations, furthering his reputation across the Midwest and East Coast.

Based on the strength of these tracks, Warner Bros signed Dolan and enlisted Hopkins to produce his debut album. Commencing in 1970, Hopkins employed an all-star cast to cut four songs before he was interrupted by prior recording and touring commitments to the Rolling Stones. The album was finished by Pete Sears, who brought his own cast, which included Neal Schon. It was completed in 1972. Though a catalog number was assigned, an album cover photo shot, and art designed -- there was even a publicity campaign in place -- Warner decided not to release the recording and subsequently dropped Dolan from its roster without explanation.

Dolan re-emerged in June of 1973 with Douglass, Cipollina, and other Bay Area musicians as Terry the Pirates. Playing the songwriter's originals and a host of covers, the band's revolving door policy was part of its charm. Many players -- including Hopkins when available -- were part of its lineup. They released a small handful of albums on independent European labels, but seldom ventured out of the Bay Area. The collective remained together until Cipollina's death in 1989. Dolan remained active locally until his death from heart failure in 2012. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi