Distinguished singer David Johansen, known for his leading role in the groundbreaking proto-punk band New York Dolls and his later persona Buster Poindexter, passed away in his New York City, New York home on February 28, 2025. He was 75 years old.
Johansen’s daughter, Leah Hennessey, verified that her father died in peace at home, surrounded by his wife, Mara Hennessey, his daughter Leah, music, and flowers, after a decade of severe health issues. The cause of death was natural.
Earlier in February, the family disclosed that Johansen had been waging a nearly decade-long battle with stage 4 cancer and had been diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Born in 1950 on Staten Island, Johansen had a passion for singing from a young age. His father was an opera singer turned insurance salesman, while his mother was a librarian. Opting out of college, Johansen joined an avant-garde acting troupe and later led the Staten Island band Vagabond Missionaries in the late 1960s.
Johansen’s career took a turn when he joined the New York Dolls in 1972. The band issued their eponymous debut album in 1973, followed by “Too Much Too Soon” in 1974. Despite their lack of commercial success, both albums have been acknowledged as cornerstones in the punk movement. The debut album even made it to Rolling Stone’s list of greatest albums of all time.
As Billboard highlighted in 2021, the New York Dolls’ unique look, sound, and attitude significantly influenced many successful artists from the 1970s onwards.
Following the disbandment of the Dolls in the mid-1970s, Johansen embarked on a fruitful solo career, releasing four albums between 1978 and 1984. In 1987, he debuted his alter ego, Buster Poindexter, a lounge singer persona that earned him mainstream recognition with the hit “Hot Hot Hot.”
Johansen explained to PEOPLE in 1988 that his character’s name was a combination of street smarts and scholarly influence: He was referred to as “Buster” on the streets, while his intellectual side earned him the nickname “Poindexter.”
Johansen’s transformation into Buster Poindexter proved successful. His debut album under the new persona was named “The Party Album of the Year” by Rolling Stone and reached No. 40 on the Billboard 200. His performances were often interspersed with narratives from his rock and roll past.
Despite the widespread popularity of “Hot Hot Hot,” Johansen had mixed feelings about the song. He told PEOPLE in 2015 that artists who score a hit often feel compelled to perform it, even if they prefer not to, and their feelings toward the song may change over time.
Johansen also had a successful acting career, appearing in films like “Scrooged” (1988), “Married to the Mob” (1988), and TV series such as “The Adventures of Pete & Pete” and “Oz.”
In 2004, Johansen reunited with the surviving New York Dolls members. What was initially planned as a single performance turned into an eight-year run with multiple world tours.
Johansen returned his Buster Poindexter character for performances at New York’s iconic Café Carlyle in 2015.
In 2023, Johansen became the subject of the documentary “Personality Crisis: One Night Only,” directed by Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi. The film focused on his cabaret shows and featured interviews with his daughter Leah.
Director Scorsese, who had known Johansen for many years, was captivated by the energy of his performances and described them as poignant and beautiful.
Before his passing, Leah Hennessey shared that Johansen was gravely ill, but he was mentally and emotionally present, and he was connecting with people he hadn’t spoken to in years.
Johansen was married thrice. His first wife was actress Cyrinda Foxe (1977-1978), followed by photographer Kate Simon (1983-2011), and finally artist Mara Hennessey (2013). Leah Hennessey described her parents’ love as something out of mythology, with them being in love every moment of the day.
Johansen is survived by his wife, Mara, and his daughter, Leah. Johansen leaves behind an indelible legacy in the music world.
