David Johansen, frontman of the iconic punk band New York Dolls, passed away at 75 in his Staten Island home on February 28. His stepdaughter, Leah Hennessey, confirmed the news, calling him a true punk legend.
“David Johansen passed away peacefully at home, holding the hands of his wife Mara Hennessey and daughter Leah, in the sunlight surrounded by music and flowers,” reads a statement on a website created to raise funds for his medical care.
Just last month, Johansen revealed he was battling stage four cancer, a brain tumor, and a broken back, conditions that kept him from performing in recent years. Rising to fame in the 1970s, Johansen helped shape the punk movement with the New York Dolls, whose 1973 debut album shocked audiences with its gender-bending cover featuring the band in makeup, wigs, and high heels. While initially dismissed, their influence on punk rock became undeniable over time.
After the Dolls disbanded in 1977, Johansen launched a solo career, shifting towards a more bluesy, lounge-influenced rock sound. By the late 1970s, he was performing under his own name, leading to the creation of his alter ego, Buster Poindexter, in the 1980s.
