David Johansen, the front man of the seminal glam-punk band The New York Dolls, passed away in February 2025 after a five year battle with cancer, exacerbated by a fall in late 2024 in which he broke his back in two places.
Despite his raucous, exuberant, over-the-top stage persona, David was — by all accounts, — a sweet, humble and caring man. Several friends of mine have shared personal encounters with David — each one a testament to his kindness. I only met David once, very briefly. In 2006, my then-teenage son was working as an intern at a local Philadelphia radio station. This station presents an annual summer music festival and, in 2006, the reformed New York Dolls were scheduled to perform. My son’s assignment was to escort the bands from the “green room” to the stage. He led the late Sylvain Sylvain and David Johansen right past me as I leaned over from the audience side of a metal barricade. I called out my son’s name. He looked up and pointed me out, saying to David: “That’s my dad.” David halted in his tracks to pose for a quick (and memorable) photo with my son before continuing the journey to the stage.
During the band’s performance, the outdoor venue lost power. While the tech crew scrambled to restore electricity, David sat down at the edge of the stage — his long and lanky legs swinging carefree — and sang sans microphone to the delight of the crowd.
David and The Dolls created a genre of music without even knowing they were doing so. They just did what they did, never setting out to be the inspiration for future bands.
And David….. David was a good guy.