David Johansen, the frontman and final surviving member of the New York Dolls, has died on the age of 75.
The information was introduced by his daughter Leah Hennessey, who confirmed that he handed away on Friday (February 28) at his dwelling in New York. He had been identified with stage 4 most cancers in 2020.
Because the singer within the New York Dolls, Johansen was basic within the shaping of the aesthetic that may go on to outline punk rock, merging parts of glam and onerous rock with a distinctively anti-establishment perspective and resonating with an rising technology of music followers.
Born on January 9, 1950, the Staten Island native started his music profession with the band The Vagabond Missionaries within the late ‘60s, earlier than forming the Dolls in 1971 with Johnny Thunders, Sylvain Sylvain and Arthur Kane.
They launched two extremely influential studio albums collectively – ‘New York Dolls’ (1973) and ‘Too A lot Too Quickly’ (1974) – earlier than splitting in 1976 and never performing collectively once more till 2004.
Johansen went on to steer a profitable solo profession, opening for The Who, earlier than swerving within the late ‘80s into the alter ego Buster Poindexter, a louche lounge singer that carried out repeatedly with the Saturday Night time Dwell band. He had a success below that identify with ‘Sizzling Sizzling Sizzling’ in 1987.
He additionally launched into a semi-regular appearing profession, showing most notably alongside Invoice Murray in 1988’s pageant traditional Scrooged. Different credit included Let It Trip, Mr. Nanny and The Adventures of Pete and Pete.
A number of figures from the music business have been paying tribute to Johansen, together with Stevie Van Zandt, who described him as, “Probably the most distinctive legends of our enterprise and an excellent buddy. Considered one of a sort.”
RIP David Johansen. Probably the most distinctive legends of our enterprise and an excellent buddy. Considered one of a sort.
— 🇺🇸🕉🇺🇦🟦Stevie Van Zandt☮️💙 (@StevieVanZandt) March 1, 2025
Secure travels, David Johansen
— Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) March 1, 2025
The good David Johansen has left the constructing. It is tough to convey how central he was for these of us of a sure age and mindset. However perhaps this rockin’ tune he recorded throughout his eponymous solo profession within the late ’70s will provide you with a way of it.https://t.co/hxg005cLZA
— Michael Azerrad (@michaelazerrad) March 1, 2025
Simply weeks in the past, Johansen thanked his followers for his or her fundraising help following him publicly sharing his most cancers prognosis. “Hiya all people. I simply wished to thanks all for giving us an enormous increase right here with our fundraising marketing campaign, I assume you’ll name it,” he mentioned.
“I’ve by no means requested for assist in my life and these days Mara’s been educating me the great thing about, when your chips are down, asking for assist,” he continues. “That’s what I’m doing, and it appears to be understanding actually marvellously.”
He’s survived by his spouse Mara and daughter Leah.
