David Johansen: a life in pictures

The Guardian

01-03-2025

The New York Dolls in their dressing room at Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 7th December 1973. Arthur Kane (back left against wall), David Johansen (centre, raising middle finger), Johnny Thunders (part obscured behind Johansen), Sylvain Sylvain (leaning against wall in front of Rolling Stones poster), Jerry Nolan (lying back, wearing red T-shirt). Photograph: Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns
Musicians Joan Jett, of the group the Runaways, Deborah Harry, of the group Blondie, David Johansen, formerly of the group the New York Dolls, and Joey Ramone (1951-2001), of the group the Ramones, as they attend a mock wedding, New York, 1977. Johansen holds a copy of cartoonist Charles Schulz's 'Peanuts Treasury' book. The photo was taken as part of a shoot for Punk magazine. Photograph: Roberta Bayley/Redferns
The New York Dolls with David Johansen on vocals, perform live on TopPop TV show for AVRO TV at Hilversum Studios in 1973. Photograph: Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns
Photograph: Gems/Redferns
An early photo of The New York Dolls. Photograph: MichaelJerry Nolan, Sylvain Sylvain, David Johansen, Johnny Thunders and Arthur 'Killer' Kane of the New York Dolls, 1974. Photograph: Chris Walter/WireImage
New York Dolls in concert at Biba's Rainbow Room restaurant, Kensington, London, in 1973. Photograph: Ian Dickson/Shutterstock
Johansen appearing at the Grammy Awards as his alter ego Buster Poindexter at Radio City Music Hall in 1988. Photograph: AP
David Johansen with Bill Murray in the 1988 film Scrooged. Johansen played the Ghost of Christmas Past in the modern retelling of A Christmas Carol. Photograph: Allstar Picture Library Limited./Alamy
The New York Dolls reunited in 2004. Photograph: Jun Sato/WireImage
The New York Dolls toured the UK once more in 2011 before disbanding for good. Photograph: Matt Kent/WireImage
David Johansen in a still from the Martin Scorsese helmed Personality Crisis: One Night Only. Photograph: TCD/Alamy
David Johansen and his wife Mara Hennessey attending a screening of Personality Crisis: One Night Only during the 60th New York Film Festival at The Film Society of Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall in 2022. Photograph:for FLC
Cyndi Lauper and David Johansen at a bar after the Z100 Party at the Palladium in August 1989. Photograph:Rob Wasserman (top left) with (clockwise) Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, Bruce Hornsby, Lou Reed, Little Jimmy Scott, and David Johansen backstage at the Beacon Theater in New York City in 1994. Photograph: Ebet Roberts/Redferns
David Johansen in the water as the Marshall of the Mermaid Parade, Coney Island, New York in 2005. Photograph: David Corio/Redferns
David Johansen with Mara Hennessey at the anti-Donald Trump protest, New York, May 2018. Photograph: G Ronald Lopez/Zuma Wire/Shutterstock
Morrissey, winner of the Silver Clef Award 2004 with David Johansen, Arthur 'Killer' Kane and Sylvain Sylvain of the New York Dolls. Photograph: Jon Furniss/WireImage
Al Lewis and David Johansen during filming of Where Are You? Car 54. Photograph: Barbara Nitke/Orion/Kobal/Shutterstock
David Johansen, Ben E. King, Joey Ramone and Tommy Ramone attend the 1988 New York Music Awards. Photograph:In concert at Biba's Rainbow Room restaurant, Kensington, London in 1973. Photograph: Ian Dickson/Shutterstock
Second left, Bob Geldof, of the the Boomtown Rats, David Johansen, and Rock & Blues musician Rick Derringer with three unidentified women at Kipling's Last Resort nightclub, New York, in 1979. Photograph:Ivana Trump, David Johansen, aka Buster Poindexter, RuPaul and Fred 'Rerun' Berry at taping of VH1's 'The RuPaul Show' at VH1 Studios in New York City in 1997. Photograph: MediaPunch/Shutterstock
Debbie Harry of Blondie and David Johansen of the New York Dolls at a book release party for Tama Janowitz's A Cannibal In Manhattan, at Trader Vics in New York City in 1987. Photograph: Ebet Roberts/Redferns
David Johansen at the Poplar Creek Music Theater in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, in 1981. Photograph:Performing as Buster Poindexter at City Winery, New York City, in 2016.
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