David Johansen, last surviving member of glam-rock trailblazers the New York Dolls, has died after publicly revealing his stage 4 cancer diagnosis. Along with appearing in films like Scrooged and Let It Ride, Johansen also found commercial success as his musical alter ego, Buster Poindexter.
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According to a PR statement, the “Hot Hot Hot” singer died at his New York City home on Friday (Feb. 28) afternoon, holding hands with his wife Mara Hennessey and daughter Leah, surrounded by music, flowers, and love. He was 75 years old and died of natural causes after nearly a decade of illness.
RIP David Johansen. This is rock n roll. pic.twitter.com/E5ZyXtTsn5
— Steven Hyden (@Steven_Hyden) March 1, 2025
David Johansen Recently Revealed Health Problems
Initially diagnosed with stage 4 cancer a decade ago, David Johansen kept his health struggles private until early 2025. Five years ago, following “intensive treatment,” his family learned that Johansen’s cancer had progressed and he had a brain tumor.
After setting up a Sweet Relief Fund for her father, Leah Hennessy wrote that the family decided to share the news ” due to the increasingly severe financial burden our family is facing.”
“[What[ he’s created and the impact he’s had on the world, and what he’s given over and over again, that’s not going anywhere,” Hennessy told People prior to her father’s death. “He’s part of the city, and he’s part of the culture, and he’s part of history. That’s gonna live on no matter what.”
The New York Dolls Ushered in a New Era
Forming the New York Dolls in 1971, David Johansen and his bandmates helped pioneer the glam rock movement that trickled over from 1970s London. Although plagued by infighting and substance use struggles, the Dolls’ impact extended far beyond their 1976 split. They would eventually reunite in 2004, releasing three more studio albums. Their most recent work, Dancing Backward in High Heels, came in 2011.
In between stints with the New York Dolls, Johansen found commercial success under the pseudonym Buster Poindexter, adopting a kitschy, pompadoured lounge singer persona.
“With Buster, I can do anything I want,” Johansen said in the 2020 documentary Personality Crisis. “People aren’t expecting something else. They come because it’s unexpected what I’m gonna do. They kind of trust that it’s gonna be good, and it’s always good.”
Featured image by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images
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