David Johansen, singer from seminal punk band New York Dolls, dies aged 75

1 March 2025, 21:11 | Updated: 1 March 2025, 22:02

David Johansen, the singer from seminal punk band the New York Dolls, has died at the age of 75.

Formed in the early 1970s, the New York Dolls redefined rock and roll, providing the blueprint for British punk bands such as the Sex Pistols and The Clash, and inspiring the glam-metal movement.

Johansen died "peacefully" at his home in New York City on Friday, his family said.

He was "holding the hands of his wife Mara Hennessey and stepdaughter Leah, in the sunlight surrounded by music and flowers", they added.

Johansen's death comes just weeks after the singer's family said he had stage 4 cancer and a brain tumour.

His daughter Leah shared the diagnosis as she launched a crowdfunding campaign to help cover healthcare costs.

Sharing news of the singer's death on the page, his family said: "He was thankful that he had a chance to be in touch with so many friends and family before he passed.

"He knew he was ecstatically loved."

There will be "several events celebrating David's life and artistry" announced in due course, they added.

Johansen began his career as a singer with the Vagabond Missionaries in the late 1960s, before being invited to join the New York Dolls in 1971.

While the band - whose tracks include Personality Crisis and Looking For A Kiss - were critically acclaimed, they never found commercial success and broke up after two albums by the middle of the decade.

Despite their split after just five years, the Dolls' presence in the early punk scene had an undeniable impact on the music world.

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Shortly after their demise, the band were quoted as a major influence on British bands including The Clash, The Damned and the Sex Pistols - whose deprecating track New York is about the Dolls.

Their style - women's clothes, heavy makeup and teased hair - inspired the glam-metal movement that emerged with acts such as Mötley Crüe a decade later.

Johansen embarked on a solo career after the band split and released albums under both his own name and the pseudonym Buster Poindexter.

In 2004, the band's three surviving members - Johansen, Arthur 'Killer' Kane' and Sylvain Sylvain - reunited and continued performing until 2011.

Johansen is survived by his wife, Mara, and stepdaughter, Leah.

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