Latest news with #BrooklynVegan
The Independent
01-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
David Johansen death: New York Dolls frontman dies aged 75 after revealing stage 4 cancer diagnosis
David Johansen, who was the last surviving member of the seminal punk rock band the New York Dolls, has died at the age of 75. Johansen — who later performed as his campy alter ego, Buster Poindexter — died Friday at his home in New York City, his stepdaughter, Leah Hennessey, confirmed. Hennessey had launched a fundraiser to help pay for his treatment and care. On the site, Hennessey said Johansen had been receiving intensive cancer treatment for 'most of the last decade.' In 2020, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which had caused further complications. Last November, he fell down stairs and broke his back in two places. In a statement shared by Brooklyn Vegan, Johansen said: 'We've been living with my illness for a long time, still having fun, seeing friends and family, carrying on, but this tumble the day after Thanksgiving really brought us to a whole new level of debilitation. 'This is the worst pain I've ever experienced in my entire life. I've never been one to ask for help, but this is an emergency. Thank you.' The New York Dolls were forerunners of punk and the band's style — teased hair, women's clothes and lots of makeup — inspired the glam movement that took up residence in heavy metal a decade later in bands like Faster Pussycat and Mötley Crüe. '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,' Johansen told The Knoxville News-Sentinel in 2011. Rolling Stone once called the Dolls 'the mutant children of the hydrogen age' and Vogue called them the 'darlings of downtown style, tarted-up toughs in boas and heels.' Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial 'The New York Dolls were more than musicians; they were a phenomenon. They drew on old rock 'n' roll, big-city blues, show tunes, the Rolling Stones and girl groups, and that was just for starters,' Bill Bentley wrote in Smithsonian Rock and Roll: Live and Unseen. The band never found commercial success and was torn by internal strife and drug addictions, breaking up after two albums by the middle of the decade. In 2004, former Smiths frontman and Dolls admirer Morrissey convinced Johansen and other surviving members to regroup for the Meltdown Festival in England, leading to three more studio albums. In the Eighties, Johansen assumed the persona of Buster Poindexter, a pompadour-styled lounge lizard who had a hit with the kitschy party single 'Hot, Hot, Hot' in 1987. He also appeared in such movies as Candy Mountain, Let It Ride, Married to the Mob and had a memorable turn as the Ghost of Christmas Past in Bill Murray -led hit Scrooged. In 2023, he was the subject of Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi's documentary Personality Crisis: One Night Only, which featured a live Johansen performance filmed at Café Carlyle in New York City. 'I used to think about my voice like: 'What's it gonna sound like? What's it going to be when I do this song?' And I'd get myself into a knot about it,' Johansen told The Associated Press in 2023. 'At some point in my life, I decided: 'Just sing the (expletive) song. With whatever you got.' To me, I go on stage and whatever mood I'm in, I just claw my way out of it, essentially.' He is survived by his wife, the artist Mara Hennessey, whom he married in 2013.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Paul McCartney announces 2nd surprise NYC show, immediately sells out
NEW YORK — Paul McCartney announced a second surprise show at the Bowery Ballroom slated for Wednesday night, but tickets were quickly snapped up. The East Village venue was completely sold out by 11 a.m. McCartney, 82, shocked New Yorkers on Tuesday afternoon when he announced plans to play the theater that night, making tickets only available in person at the box office. That show almost immediately sold out as well. By Wednesday morning, people were more prepared, with lines outside the venue all morning in anticipation of a possible announcement, according to the music blog Brooklyn Vegan. The concert was set to begin at 6:30 p.m. McCartney is expected to be in town all week, as he is scheduled to be part of a 50th anniversary celebration on 'Saturday Night Live' this weekend. Tuesday night's show in the tiny Bowery Ballroom, with hardly more than 550 people in attendance, included a full 22-song setlist from McCartney, along with plenty of chatter. 'So, here we are,' McCartney said at the beginning with a grin. 'Some little gig. New York. Why not?' McCartney is famously no stranger to a surprise performance. In addition to the famous Beatles rooftop concert, he appeared on top of Ed Sullivan Theatre marquee in 2009 and set up a performance at Grand Central Terminal in 2018. When he announced the Tuesday concert, New Yorkers within a reasonable distance of the Bowery Ballroom flocked to snag tickets. 'I thought: I can do this,' Amy Jaffe, who lives about 30 blocks north, told The Associated Press. 'I put on jeans, grabbed a coat, called a Lyft.' Jaffe, 69, was one of the lucky few in attendance Tuesday. McCartney played a full show, ranging from Beatles classics like 'Hey Jude' to solo efforts such as 'Maybe I'm Amazed.'
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New York Dolls' David Johansen Diagnosed With Stage 4 Cancer, Crowdfunding Treatment
New York Dolls' David Johansen in May 2023 () David Johansen, the singer in influential 1970s proto-punk band New York Dolls and who also goes by the pseudonym Buster Poindexter, has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. His daughter, Leah Hennessey, launched a Sweet Relief fundraiser to help cover the costs of his treatment and care. In the post, she revealed that Johansen has actually been undergoing intensive cancer treatment for 'most of the past decade,' and that, in 2020, it progressed and he developed a brain tumor. 'He's never made his diagnosis public, as he and my mother Mara are generally very private people, but we feel compelled to share this now, due to the increasingly severe financial burden our family is facing,' Hennessey wrote on the fundraiser. 'To make matters worse, the day after Thanksgiving David fell down the stairs and broke his back in two places. After a week in the hospital and a successful surgery David has been bedridden and incapacitated. Due to the trauma, David's illness has progressed exponentially and my mother is caring for him around the clock.' All donations to the Sweet Relief fund in Johansen's name will go towards the costs of full time nursing, physical therapy, and funding for day-to-day vital living expenses for the musician. 'With professional specialized care, we are hopeful that David can regain some mobility and independence,' his daughter wrote. In a statement shared by Brooklyn Vegan, Johansen added: 'We've been living with my illness for a long time, still having fun, seeing friends and family, carrying on, but this tumble the day after Thanksgiving really brought us to a whole new level of debilitation. This is the worst pain I've ever experienced in my entire life. I've never been one to ask for help, but this is an emergency. Thank you.' *One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This* Glam-punk pioneers stage an unlikely and possibly unwelcome comeback. Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New York Dolls' David Johansen Diagnosed With Stage 4 Cancer, Crowdfunding Treatment
New York Dolls' David Johansen in May 2023 () David Johansen, the singer in influential 1970s proto-punk band New York Dolls and who also goes by the pseudonym Buster Poindexter, has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. His daughter, Leah Hennessey, launched a Sweet Relief fundraiser to help cover the costs of his treatment and care. In the post, she revealed that Johansen has actually been undergoing intensive cancer treatment for 'most of the past decade,' and that, in 2020, it progressed and he developed a brain tumor. 'He's never made his diagnosis public, as he and my mother Mara are generally very private people, but we feel compelled to share this now, due to the increasingly severe financial burden our family is facing,' Hennessey wrote on the fundraiser. 'To make matters worse, the day after Thanksgiving David fell down the stairs and broke his back in two places. After a week in the hospital and a successful surgery David has been bedridden and incapacitated. Due to the trauma, David's illness has progressed exponentially and my mother is caring for him around the clock.' All donations to the Sweet Relief fund in Johansen's name will go towards the costs of full time nursing, physical therapy, and funding for day-to-day vital living expenses for the musician. 'With professional specialized care, we are hopeful that David can regain some mobility and independence,' his daughter wrote. In a statement shared by Brooklyn Vegan, Johansen added: 'We've been living with my illness for a long time, still having fun, seeing friends and family, carrying on, but this tumble the day after Thanksgiving really brought us to a whole new level of debilitation. This is the worst pain I've ever experienced in my entire life. I've never been one to ask for help, but this is an emergency. Thank you.' *One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This* Glam-punk pioneers stage an unlikely and possibly unwelcome comeback. Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
The Independent
10-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
New York Dolls singer David Johansen reveals stage 4 cancer diagnosis and asks fans for help
New York Dolls frontman David Johansen has revealed he is living with stage 4 cancer and a brain tumor. The pioneering punk musician's daughter, Leah Hennessey, has launched a fundraising site to help pay for his treatment and care. On the site, Hennessey says Johansen has been receiving intensive cancer treatment for 'most of the last decade.' In 2020, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which has caused further complications. Last November, he fell down stairs and broke his back in two places. In a statement shared by Brooklyn Vegan, Johansen said: 'We've been living with my illness for a long time, still having fun, seeing friends and family, carrying on, but this tumble the day after Thanksgiving really brought us to a whole new level of debilitation. 'This is the worst pain I've ever experienced in my entire life. I've never been one to ask for help, but this is an emergency. Thank you.' The site is seeking to raise funds to pay for full-time nursing, physical therapy and day-to-day living expenses. Hennessey writes that Johansen had previously chosen to keep his diagnosis private, but is now facing an emergency situation as his fall has left him bedridden and incapacitated. 'He's never made his diagnosis public, as he and my mother Mara are generally very private people, but we feel compelled to share this now, due to the increasingly severe financial burden our family is facing,' says Hennessey. 'Due to the trauma, David's illness has progressed exponentially and my mother is caring for him around the clock. To continue his treatment and give him the best chance of recovery, David and Mara will need full time assistance. As hilarious and wise as David continues to be, he is physically debilitated and his care exceeds what we are capable of providing without specialized professional help.' Johansen was a member of the proto-punk band New York Dolls from 1971. They released their debut album in 1973. He later led his own group, the David Johansen Band, before reinventing himself in the 1980s under the pseudonym Buster Poindexter. He is also well known for playing the Ghost of Christmas Past in the 1988 Bill Murray comedy Scrooged. In 2023 he was the subject of Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi's documentary Personality Crisis: One Night Only, which featured a live Johansen performance filmed at Café Carlyle in New York City. He has been married to the artist Mara Hennessey since 2013.
