David Johansen, New York Dolls Frontman and Glam-Punk Pioneer, Dies at 75

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March 3, 2025 at 07:03 AM

David Johansen, the pioneering frontman of the New York Dolls and influential figure in glam and punk rock, passed away at 75 in his New York City home on February 28. Earlier this year, he had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and a brain tumor.

David Johansen with New York Dolls

Photo Credit: New York Dolls at AVRO's TopPop in 1973 / CC by 3.0

Born on Staten Island, Johansen helped form the New York Dolls in the early 1970s. The band, known for their groundbreaking combination of glam aesthetics and proto-punk sound, featured guitarists Sylvain Sylvain and Johnny Thunders, bassist Arthur Kane, and drummer Jerry Nolan. Though they only released two albums during their initial run - New York Dolls (1973) and Too Much Too Soon (1974) - their influence on rock music was profound.

The New York Dolls' signature style of teased hair, feminine clothes, and dramatic makeup later became a blueprint for '80s hair metal. Their self-titled debut album ranks No. 301 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, with the magazine noting, "It's hard to imagine the Ramones or the Replacements or a thousand other trash-junky bands without them."

After the Dolls' breakup, Johansen reinvented himself as lounge singer Buster Poindexter and formed various musical projects, including the David Johansen Band and The Harry Smiths. In 2004, at former Smiths frontman Morrissey's request, he reunited with surviving Dolls members for England's Meltdown Festival, leading to three more albums.

Throughout his career, Johansen remained dedicated to artistic expression. As he stated in 2011, "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." His influence continues to resonate through multiple generations of musicians, with artists like Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe and Chris Stein of Blondie citing him as a crucial inspiration.