Obituary: David Johansen, musician

Otago Daily Times

18-05-2025

American singer, songwriter and actor, David Johansen, poses for a portrait circa 1980 at The Old Waldorf in San Francisco, California.
Inspired by British glam rock and inspirational to the emergence of punk rock, David Johansen was the face of influential United States band the New York Dolls.
A New York native, Johansen gravitated to Andy Warhol's Factory scene.
Having cut his teeth in several bands and the theatre industry, Johansen's break came in 1971 when the Dolls then singer Johnny Thunders opted to stick to his bass.
Their raucous lifestyle, androgynous look and wild-eyed hard rock earned them a cult following but not commercial success.
The band's last show was in December 1976, just before the many bands who had taken their cue from the Dolls look and sound started to make it big.
Johansen went solo, with limited success, although his blues/swing alter ego Buster Poindexter did trouble the lower reaches of the charts and one single, a cover of Hot Hot Hot, made the US top 20.
The surviving New York Dolls reformed in 2004 for a London festival, touring until 2011.
Johansen was also an accomplished actor whose credits included appearances in the films Scrooged and Freejack, as well as TV shows Oz and The Equaliser. David Johansen died on February 28 aged 75. — APL/agencies