Condolences: David Johansen

• David Johansen, the frontman and last surviving member of proto-punk band New York Dolls, who went on to reinvent himself as lounge singer “Buster Poindexter” and as an actor in films like Scrooged, died Friday, Feb. 28 at home in New York. He was 75.

According to Variety, a statement released by Johansen’s family on Saturday said that his death came “after a decade of profoundly compromised health,” and that he “passed away peacefully at home, holding the hands of his wife Mara Hennessey and daughter Leah, in the sunlight surrounded by music and flowers.”

Last month Johansen’s family announced he was suffering from stage four cancer, a brain tumor and a broken back. The tumor was diagnosed in 2020 and he has not been able to perform for the final years of his life.

As The Wrap reports, “Johansen began to perform as ‘Buster Poindexter‘ in the 1980s and had his biggest hit as a recording artist with his 1987 version of the soca song ‘Hot Hot Hot,’ which received wide exposure on MTV and got to No. 11 on the Billboard dance-club charts. He continued to perform as Poindexter for decades, though he also made appearances under his own name.”

The family’s statement added, “David and his family were deeply moved by the outpouring of love and support they’ve experienced recently as the result of having gone public with their challenges. He was thankful that he had a chance to be in touch with so many friends and family before he passed. He knew he was ecstatically loved.”

Johansen’s family added that “there will be several events celebrating David’s life and artistry; details to follow.”