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He was the last surviving member of the original 1971 lineup for the band.
Below is Scorseses full tribute to the late musician.
With David Johansen, it started with the music, of course.
Actually, with a New York Dolls song, Personality Crisis.
I heard that song, I cant remember when or where, and it stayed with me.
I listened to it obsessively.
The sound was rough, the playing was raw, the voice was wildly theatrical and immediate.
And the energy was New York, 100% pure and uncut, right off the streets.
After the Dolls broke up, I kept watching and listening to David.
He never stopped growing as a songwriter and a singer, always exploring, always staking out new paths.
There was the Buster Poindexter alter ego.
And the radio show Mansion of Fun, which amazed me and which I listened to obsessively.
What a remarkable artist.
What an amazing man.
I was so lucky to have known him.
I just wish there had been more time.
Born on January 9, 1950, Johnasen thrived as a frontman to several bands.
