David Johansen, New York Dolls Frontman and Punk Pioneer, Dead at 75

Sadness

a legend in the NYC punk scene. RIP

Not unexpected. He's had health issues for a while.

When I was younger I had read about The New York Dolls, but never heard their music.

I was quite surprised to find out that that weird Buster Poindexter guy on MTV was actually a member of that group.

Right? I knew about the Dolls but I'm sad (OK not sad) to admit Hot Hot Hot was my real indroduction to Johansen.

RIP

I remember this song from Miami Vice

That sucks, but unfortunately not unexpected as I recently read about his failing health. The last of the original Dolls is now gone.

As a KISS fan, I had read how the Dolls were an influence and they came out of the same scene in NYC. I wanted to hear them, but back in the pre-internet 1980s it was very difficult to do so, and it's not like they were played on the radio or MTV, and their two albums were long out of print. Luckily I managed to find a European import of their debut album and was really impressed with it.

Yeah, I'm, like twelve years old and wondering why this lounge lizard asshole is on MTV instead of Lawrence Welk where he belonged.

Yeah, 1980s... pre-internet it was really hard to listen to acts like the New York Dolls. They got no play on the radio or MTV (and, in the early 1980s, MTV was a huge game-changer in that it became a national radio station), and stores didn't carry their old albums.

The only way I knew about the NYD was from reading magazines that would cite them as an influence on then current groups like KISS or Twisted Sister, and they'd sort of become to this mythical thing to a kid like me living out in the sticks.

I would see both albums in the stores around 1973-74. Eventually I bought their first album out of curiosity. Except for the song "Subway Train, which sounds a lot like The Rolling Stones, I couldn't get into it. Listened a couple times but never played it again.

Back when my (then) friends and I used to bar hop in Kent OH, I remember seeing the New York Dolls in a bar one night. It wasn't really my kind of music, but it was interesting nonetheless. It's been said the New York Dolls, along with Iggy and the Stooges were among the originators of punk rock way back in the early/mid 70's. I believe it.

I just saw David Johansen in the movie Freejack a couple of weeks ago.

RIP David.

ba rump ba bum

He was a talented actor with a lot of charisma. Always enjoyed seeing him. The Buster Poindexter persona was my intro as well back in the day. I need to watch that Scorsese doc.

My introduction to Johansen was an Animals medley that used to play on MTV back in the day. Ran out and bought the live album right after hearing it. That said, I'm still not sure if I've ever heard the New York Dolls.

Regarding the first pic, I don't think I have ever seen Ace so clear-eyed.

I knew about him as a Rock Star, but I mostly knew of him from his movies roles. RIP Ghost Cab Driver

He was in Scrooged and Tales from the Dark Side movie too.

I finished the Scorsese doc.

I was not into his music but he was a interesting cat and one of a kind and respect his artistry and the influence he had.

He despised "Hot Hot Hot"

Morrissey was the president of the UK New York Dolls fan club.

People can use this today as a protest song.