Iconic rock and roll legend David Johansen has passed away at the age of 75. The last surviving member of the New York Dolls, Johansen was a pioneer of the glam and protopunk movement, and later reinvented himself as the campy, pompadoured alter ego, Buster Poindexter. His death comes after a battle with stage 4 cancer and a brain tumor, which was revealed in early 2025.
The New York Dolls were more than just a band – they were a phenomenon. With their teased hair, women’s clothes, and heavy makeup, they inspired the glam movement that would later influence heavy metal bands like Faster Pussycat and Motley Crue. Their unique style and sound drew on old rock ‘n’ roll, big-city blues, show tunes, and even girl groups, making them a force to be reckoned with in the music scene.
Johansen’s impact as an artist went beyond just his music. He wanted to inspire people, and he did just that. As he once said in an interview, “When you’re an artist, the main thing you want to do is inspire people, so if you succeed in doing that, it’s pretty gratifying.” And succeed he did, leaving a lasting impression on the music world.
Rolling Stone once described the Dolls as “the mutant children of the hydrogen age,” while Vogue called them the “darlings of downtown style.” Their unique blend of music and fashion captivated audiences and made them a staple in the New York City scene. In his book “Smithsonian Rock and Roll: Live and Unseen,” Bill Bentley wrote, “The New York Dolls were more than musicians; they were a phenomenon.”
Despite their groundbreaking style and sound, the New York Dolls never achieved commercial success. Internal strife and drug addictions tore the band apart, leading to their breakup after just two albums in the mid-1970s. However, in 2004, former Smiths frontman Morrissey convinced Johansen and other surviving members to reunite for the Meltdown Festival in England, leading to three more studio albums.
In the 1980s, Johansen took on a new persona – Buster Poindexter. With his pompadour and lounge lizard style, he had a hit with the kitschy party single “Hot, Hot, Hot” in 1987. He also dabbled in acting, appearing in movies such as “Candy Mountain,” “Let It Ride,” and “Married to the Mob.” He even had a memorable turn as the Ghost of Christmas Past in the popular film “Scrooged.”
In 2023, Johansen was the subject of a documentary by Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi titled “Personality Crisis: One Night Only.” The film showcased his two-night stand at the Cafe Carlyle in January 2020, along with flashbacks of his diverse career and intimate interviews. In an interview with the Associated Press, Johansen reflected on his approach to performing, saying, “Just sing the (expletive) song. With whatever you got.”
Born to a large, working-class Catholic family on Staten Island, Johansen’s love for music and poetry started at a young age. He was influenced by a variety of genres, including R&B, Cuban, and artists like Janis Joplin and Otis Redding. In the early 1970s, the Dolls rubbed shoulders with icons like Lou Reed and Andy Warhol in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
The Dolls’ unique name came from a toy hospital in Manhattan, and they were expected to take over the throne left vacant by the Velvet Underground in the early 1970s. However, their first two albums, 1973’s “New York Dolls” and 1974’s “Too Much Too Soon,” failed to chart. Despite this, they received praise from critics, with Rolling Stone magazine calling them “the best hard-rock band in America right now.”
Decades later, the Dolls’ influence would be celebrated, with Rolling Stone listing their self-titled debut album at number 301 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The magazine wrote, “it’s hard to imagine the Ramones or the Replacements or a thousand other trash-junky bands without them.” Despite their impact, the Dolls were never inducted into the
