David Johansen, who fronted the legendary 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 through electronic mail. The musician “died at dwelling in New York Metropolis on Friday afternoon holding palms along with his spouse, Mara Hennessey, and daughter Leah, surrounded by music, flowers, and love,” in accordance with a press release. Johansen was 75 years outdated.
The assertion stated that Johansen “died of pure causes after practically a decade of sickness,” however the musician had additionally not too long ago revealed that he had been dwelling with stage 4 most cancers. On the time, his daughter, Leah Hennessey, launched a Sweet Relief 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 dwelling borough through the years, recording a two–part podcast on his idyllic childhood, which he spent zipping round on a bicycle, listening to data, 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 Seashore “rivals Kauai.”
Like many architects of punk’s first wave, Johansen grew up devouring blues and rock’n’roll singles, a lot 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 lady teams of the Sixties, a lot of which had been produced by Phil Spector. The latter’s affect is obvious on the early New York Dolls track “In search of a Kiss,” which kicks off with Johansen reciting the opening line of the Shangri-Las’ “Give Him a Nice Massive Kiss”: “After I Say I’m in Love, you greatest imagine 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 masking “Nice Massive Kiss” on solo debut So Alone.
In highschool, Johansen watched as a number of siblings (he was one among six) took half in musicals. He, as a substitute, was busy making a reputation for himself within the New York rock scene. By the early 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 traditional of the glam rock and proto-punk genres.
