Rock Legend David Johansen of New York Dolls Passes Away at 75, Leaving a Lasting Legacy

by

David Johansen, a charismatic performer known for his gruff voice, played a pivotal role in fueling the punk rock revolution as the frontman of the New York Dolls. Later, he became the lounge singer Buster Poindexter and starred in the movie “Scrooged.” Sadly, at the age of 75, Johansen passed away.

Johansen passed away on a Friday at his residence in Staten Island, as reported by his stepdaughter, Leah Hennessey, to The New York Times.

On February 10th, Hennessy disclosed that Johansen had been fighting stage 4 cancer for a solid decade, had developed a brain tumor, and suffered a broken back in a fall immediately following Thanksgiving. The family has requested contributions to help cover their mounting medical costs.

In a natural and easy-to-read manner:

The eccentric and gritty New York Dolls, known for their love of crude humor and wearing women’s clothing, consisted of Johansen, guitarists Sylvain Sylvain and Johnny Thunders, bassist Arthur Kane, and drummer Jerry Nolan. They recorded their self-titled debut album, which became a breakthrough, in just eight days, under the production of Todd Rundgren for Mercury Records, in 1973.

In a 2013 interview with Esquire, he stated that they simply walked into a room and captured it on tape. It wasn’t like those who plan things out; instead, it was a snapshot of what was happening in that moment.

On the initial side of the debut album, the opening track was “Personality Crisis,” a collaboration between Johansen and Thunders. This was followed by tunes like “Looking for a Kiss,” “Vietnamese Baby,” “Frankenstein” and a rendition of Bo Diddley’s “Pills.

Back in the day, when I first heard their chaotic debut album, it wasn’t a blockbuster hit. But as time passed, this unpolished gem found its way onto numerous ‘best-of’ lists, and it left an indelible mark on music history. Bands like the Ramones, Kiss, the Sex Pistols, and even Morrissey couldn’t resist its raw charm and let it seep into their own unique sounds.

After the Dolls’ subsequent album, “Too Much Too Soon,” released in 1974 and produced by Shadow Morton, flopped commercially as well, they were dismissed from Mercury Records following a tumultuous nationwide tour. The band called it quits after their final performance on December 31st, 1976, at Max’s Kansas City, a nightclub situated close to their East Village hangout spots.

He expressed during a 2022 interview that we had grown tired of constantly seeing each other, and traveling extensively.

As a passionate gamer, I’d say: “In my opinion, The New York Dolls were the epitome of rock ‘n’ roll, embodying an uncontainable energy that only a select few can harness without causing harm and is nearly impossible to bottle up for mass distribution, as described in Nina Antonia’s 1998 book Too Much Too Soon about the band.

Between 1984’s “Sweet Revenge” and 1987, Johanson altered his persona, grew a pompadour, and began singing classic tunes for the album titled “Buster Poindexter“. The catchy tune “Hot Hot Hot”, from this period, reached No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 and enjoyed frequent plays on MTV. However, Johanson frequently referred to his most popular hit as a source of annoyance in his life.

Everything culminated in a career in acting for Johansen, who played the role of the chain-smoking taxi driver Ghost of Christmas Past in Richard Donner’s 1988 film, Scrooged, alongside Bill Murray. Later on, he took on the character of another cab driver named Looney, a close friend to Richard Dreyfuss’ gambler, in the horse racing comedy Let It Ride (1989).

Apart from his role as Detective John Kelly in “CSI: NY,” Johansen is recognized for taking on roles such as Officer Gunther Toody in the 1994 movie adaptation of “Car 54, Where Are You” (previously played by Joe E. Ross in the 60s NBC comedy), and the character Eli Zabitz, a sociopathic Jewish inmate, across three episodes of “Oz” on HBO in 2000.

He once stated, “A true singer is essentially an actor.” Each tune presents a distinct character for you to portray. Now and then, you’ll embody the romantic lead, while other times you might be a boisterous party reveler with a wild streak. In essence, you enact various roles, exploring every facet of emotion.

Born on Staten Island on January 9, 1950, David Roger Johansen was one of six children. His mom, Helen, worked as a librarian, while his dad, John, was an insurance salesman who enjoyed belting out opera tunes at home.

Prior to joining Kane and the original lineup of The Dolls, Johansen had been performing in local bands and acting in plays at Charles Ludlum’s Ridiculous Theater. It was then that Billy Murcia, one of the founding drummers of The Dolls, along with Kane, knocked on his door in an apartment on East 6th Street and invited him to become their vocalist.

In the heart of lower Manhattan, The Dolls amassed a devoted fanbase, performing R&B with unbridled passion and donning makeup, heels, and satin. Some speculated they were gay. They even had the opportunity to open for Rod Stewart in London. Tragically, during that trip, Murcia passed away due to an accidental drug overdose.

Following their signing with Mercury Records in March 1973, The Dolls embarked on a tour. In an interview with NPR’s Terry Gross in 2004, Johansen admitted that he was arrested while performing in Memphis and spent a night behind bars for inciting a disturbance. He recalled, “I was dressed like Liza Minnelli at the time, and it wasn’t exactly a peaceful evening I’d say.

During the 12th season (1986-87), Poindexter graced six episodes of Saturday Night Live. Additionally, he produced four albums under a different persona after being signed by RCA, over the course of ten years.

David Johansen, known as part of the group “David Johansen & the Harry Smiths” (named after the creator of the 1952 album “Anthology of American Folk Music”), released country blues albums in 2000 and 2002. Later, in 2004, a reunion of The Dolls was initiated by Morrissey, leading to the creation of the well-received 2006 album titled “One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This“. This lineup of the band continued for approximately eight years.

In 1985, Johansen made an appearance on episodes of Miami Vice and in 1987 on The Equalizer. Additionally, he was part of the cast for the film Candy Mountain that same year, a project which also featured artists like Tom Waits, Leon Redbone, Dr. John, Joe Strummer, and Arto Lindsay. Later, Johansen acted in Married to the Mob (1988), Freejack (1992), The Tic Code (1998), and 200 Cigarettes (1999).

or

In 1985, Johansen was a guest star on Miami Vice and The Equalizer in 1987. He also starred alongside musicians Tom Waits, Leon Redbone, Dr. John, Joe Strummer, and Arto Lindsay in Candy Mountain (1987). Later, he took roles in Married to the Mob (1988), Freejack (1992), The Tic Code (1998), and 200 Cigarettes (1999).

or

Johansen appeared on Miami Vice in 1985 and on The Equalizer in 1987. He was also in Candy Mountain (1987) alongside musicians Tom Waits, Leon Redbone, Dr. John, Joe Strummer, and Arto Lindsay. In the subsequent years, he acted in Married to the Mob (1988), Freejack (1992), The Tic Code (1998), and 200 Cigarettes (1999).

Apart from his stepdaughter, survivors include his wife Mara Hennessey, whom he wed in 2013, along with his siblings Michael, Christopher, Elizabeth, Mary Ellen, and Karen. He was previously married to actress Cyrinda Foxe, who dated Steven Tyler, and photographer Kate Simon.)

With his health issues, he hadn’t been able to perform for the past five years or so.

More recently, Johansen has been the host of SiriusXM’s program titled “Mansion of Fun” and was featured in the 2023 documentary named “Personality Crisis: One Night Only,” which Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi co-directed. The documentary revolves around a performance at Café Carlyle, and Johansen had previously worked on songs for Scorsese’s TV series, “Boardwalk Empire” and “Vinyl,” both airing on HBO.

In a recent conversation, he mentioned that many reviews [of the document] have been extremely favorable. However, after skimming several, he’d often find himself thinking, ‘I’ve had enough of this.’ What he’s really seeking is constructive criticism from someone who disagrees with him, so he can engage in a more substantive discussion.

Read More

2025-03-01 19:25