David Johansen, who fronted the legendary Nineteen Seventies proto-punk band New York Dolls and who additionally recorded underneath the pseudonym Buster Poindexter, died on Friday, February 28, his consultant, Carla Parisi of Child Logic Media, shared by way of electronic mail. The musician “died at house in New York Metropolis on Friday afternoon holding arms together with his spouse, Mara Hennessey, and daughter Leah, surrounded by music, flowers, and love,” in line with a press release. Johansen was 75 years previous.
The assertion stated that Johansen “died of pure causes after almost a decade of sickness,” however the musician had additionally just lately revealed that he had been residing with stage 4 most cancers. On the time, his daughter, Leah Hennessey, launched a Candy Reduction fundraiser to assist cowl the prices of his care and medical remedy.
David Roger Johansen was born on Staten Island, in 1950, the place he was raised by a librarian mom and insurance coverage salesman father. Johansen has mirrored fondly on his house borough through the years, recording a two–half podcast on his idyllic childhood, which he spent zipping round on a bicycle, listening to information, and riling up the nuns at his Catholic faculty. In 2009, he appeared on Anthony Bourdain’s meals present No Reservations as a information to Staten Island’s culinary fare. At one level, Johansen informed Bourdain that his beloved borough’s South Seaside “rivals Kauai.”
Like many architects of punk’s first wave, Johansen grew up devouring blues and rock’n’roll singles, lots of which he purchased at Staten Island’s since-shuttered Dew Dale Data. Younger Johansen took a shine to Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Fat Domino, the Platters, and the woman teams of the Sixties, lots of which have been produced by Phil Spector. The latter’s affect is obvious on the early New York Dolls track “On the lookout for a Kiss,” which kicks off with Johansen reciting the opening line of the Shangri-Las’ “Give Him a Nice Large Kiss”: “Once I Say I’m in Love, you finest consider I’m in love: L-U-V,” Johansen sneers, simply earlier than the band is available in. Years later, New York Dolls guitarist Johnny Thunders repeated the phrase whereas overlaying “Nice Large Kiss” on solo debut So Alone.
In highschool, Johansen watched as a number of siblings (he was considered one of six) took half in musicals. He, as an alternative, was busy making a reputation for himself within the New York rock scene. By the early Nineteen Seventies, Johansen joined the New York Dolls and he sang on the band’s self-titled debut. On the time, the group featured Johansen, Sylvain Sylvain, bassist Arthur “Killer” Kane, drummer Jerry Nolan, and guitarist Johnny Thunders. The album, produced by Todd Rundgren, was divisive upon launch, in 1973, however has proved to be a basic of the glam rock and proto-punk genres.
