David Johansen, punk icon and Buster Poindexter alter ego, dies at 75
* David Johansen, punk icon and Buster Poindexter alter ego, dies at 75
March 1, 2025 / 1:58 PM EST / AP
David Johansen, the wiry, gravelly-voiced singer and last surviving member of the glam and protopunk band the New York Dolls who later performed as his campy, pompadoured alter ego, Buster Poindexter, has died. He was 75.
Johansen died Friday at his home in New York City, Jeff Kilgour, a family spokesperson told The Associated Press. It was revealed in early 2025 that he had stage 4 cancer and a brain tumor.
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.”
Jeff,So sorry to hear about Dave’s passing. A great musician and literally the Godfather of Punk and Glam music. I saw the New York Dolls many times in the 70s at Max’s’ Kansas City and the Mercer Arts Center and knew that this band was very special. I also saw Dave’s alter ego Buster Poindexter many times and how he finally got the fame that he deserved with Hot Hot Hot in the late 80s.
Unfortunately I never saw the Dolls live.
I did see Buster 2x and both shows were awesome.
I had the pleasure many years ago of meeting David on the Street in Woodstock. Very engaging and pleasant gentleman.
May he RIP
KSR
Saw both the Dolls and Buster a number of times.
The man was very talented.