David Johansen, the vocalist of the legendary punk band New York Dolls, has stage 4 cancer, according to his daughter, who announced fundraising efforts to support his treatment.
“David is a legend, but he’s also my very real, very sick dad,” his daughter Leah Hennessy said in an Instagram post on Feb. 10, when she announced a collaboration with the Sweet Relief Musician’ Fund, which provides financial assistance to artists and those in the music industry facing health challenges.
On the charity’s website, Hennessey highlighted Johansen’s health struggle, adding, “David has been in intensive treatment for stage 4 cancer for most of the past decade.”
Although she would not provide information regarding his disease, she did reveal that it had advanced to a brain tumor five years prior. “Complications have continued ever since. He’s never made his illness public, since he and my mother Mara are normally pretty private people, but we feel obligated to do so now because of the growing financial strain on our family.”
“To make matters worse, the day after Thanksgiving, David fell down the stairs and broke his back in two places.” He had surgery, but Hennessy says that since then, “David has been bedridden and incapacitated.” David’s sickness has rapidly worsened as a result of the trauma, necessitating 24/7 care from his mother.
According to Rolling Stone, Johansen stated, “We’ve been living with my disease for a long time, still having fun, seeing friends and family, and continuing on, but this tumble the day after Thanksgiving truly pushed us to a whole new level of debilitation. This is the worst ache I’ve ever felt in my whole life. I’m not one to beg for aid, but this is an emergency.” Thank you.”
The family is requesting funds for full-time care, physical rehabilitation, and everyday expenditures. “With professional specialized care, we are hopeful that David can regain some mobility and independence,” according to Hennessey.
Along with the New York Dolls, Johansen is well-known for his alter ego Buster Poindexter; in 1987, he had a Billboard success with the track “Hot Hot Hot” as the outrageous character, a year before his unforgettable role as the Ghost of Christmas Past in Bill Murry’s hit Scrooged.
Hennessy stated in an Instagram post, “David is a legend, but he’s also my very real, very sick father. I have so much to say, but I imagine I’ll be blogging about it a lot, so I don’t have to express everything right now. I understand how awful all of our situations are right now and how much fundraising everyone is doing, but if you love David or any of the magic he’s brought into the world, please take a moment to read or share this. Thank you, as usual.