Biography
David Johansen earned his initial renown leading the groundbreaking New York Dolls, yet his career demonstrated remarkable versatility as he shifted from lipstick-smeared proto-punk hero to urbane blue-eyed soul man and later to tuxedo-clad lounge lizard, all while preserving his identity as a rock & roll original, an unpredictable iconoclast and a true cultural innovator. He entered the world on January 9, 1950, in Staten Island, NY, and formed his earliest group, the Vagabond Missionaries, during his mid-teens. Engagements with Fast Eddie & the Electric Japs and an effort to pursue theatrical acting preceded the moment when a club-going Johansen encountered bassist Arthur Kane, who invited him into the ranks of Actress. Once the ensemble adopted the name New York Dolls, its members cultivated a notorious standing through menacing, edgy music, a drug-fueled lifestyle, and an outrageously campy, drag queen-inspired glam image; although the self-titled 1973 debut and 1974's Too Much Too Soon both failed to reach the Top 100, the Dolls built a lasting cult audience whose role in sparking punk remained unmistakable.
The group formally disbanded in 1975, even as Johansen and guitarist Syl Sylvain kept performing under the New York Dolls banner for an additional two years. In 1977 Johansen finally entered the studio with his backing unit, the Staten Island Boys, to record his self-titled solo debut; though commercial results mirrored those of the Dolls' releases, the album restored critics' enthusiasm for the performer's gritty, soulful voice. Partnering with producer Mick Ronson, he delivered the Motown-influenced In Style in 1979 and the commercial-minded Here Comes the Night in 1981. Although 1982's concert recording Live It Up gained some radio exposure through its medley of the Animals hits "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," "It's My Life," and "Don't Bring Me Down," the poor reception of 1984's dance-flavored Sweet Revenge prompted Johansen to reevaluate his path. Late that year he reemerged as the pompadoured Buster Poindexter, portrayed as an ethnomusicologist steeped in R&B chestnuts. After introducing the Buster character through mid-'80s downtown New York loft performances alongside the Uptown Horns, Johansen refined the persona in Manhattan piano bars, crafting a lounge swinger image that anticipated the lounge-kitsch revival of the mid-'90s by ten years.
With Poindexter's growing appeal, Johansen assembled a large ensemble called the Banshees of Blue and attracted a loyal following on the New York club scene. The 1987 album Buster Poindexter arrived, highlighted by the party classic "Hot Hot Hot," an effervescent cover of an obscure 1984 soca hit. Beyond restarting Johansen's musical career, Buster also revived his earlier acting ambitions, leading to co-starring roles in the 1988 films Married to the Mob and Scrooged. The character continued to dominate Johansen's work in the following years, as shown by the albums Buster Goes Berserk in 1989 and Buster's Happy Hour in 1994. He kept a relatively quiet profile until the spring 2000 appearance of David Johansen & the Harry Smiths.
The group formally disbanded in 1975, even as Johansen and guitarist Syl Sylvain kept performing under the New York Dolls banner for an additional two years. In 1977 Johansen finally entered the studio with his backing unit, the Staten Island Boys, to record his self-titled solo debut; though commercial results mirrored those of the Dolls' releases, the album restored critics' enthusiasm for the performer's gritty, soulful voice. Partnering with producer Mick Ronson, he delivered the Motown-influenced In Style in 1979 and the commercial-minded Here Comes the Night in 1981. Although 1982's concert recording Live It Up gained some radio exposure through its medley of the Animals hits "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," "It's My Life," and "Don't Bring Me Down," the poor reception of 1984's dance-flavored Sweet Revenge prompted Johansen to reevaluate his path. Late that year he reemerged as the pompadoured Buster Poindexter, portrayed as an ethnomusicologist steeped in R&B chestnuts. After introducing the Buster character through mid-'80s downtown New York loft performances alongside the Uptown Horns, Johansen refined the persona in Manhattan piano bars, crafting a lounge swinger image that anticipated the lounge-kitsch revival of the mid-'90s by ten years.
With Poindexter's growing appeal, Johansen assembled a large ensemble called the Banshees of Blue and attracted a loyal following on the New York club scene. The 1987 album Buster Poindexter arrived, highlighted by the party classic "Hot Hot Hot," an effervescent cover of an obscure 1984 soca hit. Beyond restarting Johansen's musical career, Buster also revived his earlier acting ambitions, leading to co-starring roles in the 1988 films Married to the Mob and Scrooged. The character continued to dominate Johansen's work in the following years, as shown by the albums Buster Goes Berserk in 1989 and Buster's Happy Hour in 1994. He kept a relatively quiet profile until the spring 2000 appearance of David Johansen & the Harry Smiths.
Albums
