New York Dolls’ David Johansen Diagnosed With Stage 4 Cancer, Crowdfunding Treatment

David Johansen, the singer in influential 1970s proto-punk band New York Dolls and who also goes by the pseudonym Buster Poindexter, has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. His daughter, Leah Hennessey, launched a Sweet Relief fundraiser to help cover the costs of his treatment and care. In the post, she revealed that Johansen has actually been undergoing intensive cancer treatment for “most of the past decade,” and that, in 2020, it progressed and he developed a brain tumor.

“He’s never made his diagnosis public, as he and my mother Mara are generally very private people, but we feel compelled to share this now, due to the increasingly severe financial burden our family is facing,” Hennessey wrote on the fundraiser. “To make matters worse, the day after Thanksgiving David fell down the stairs and broke his back in two places. ​After a week in the hospital and a successful surgery David has been bedridden and incapacitated. Due to the trauma, David’s illness has progressed exponentially and my mother is caring for him around the clock.”

All donations to the Sweet Relief fund in Johansen’s name will go towards the costs of full time nursing, physical therapy, and funding for day-to-day vital living expenses for the musician. “With professional specialized care, we are hopeful that David can regain some mobility and independence,” his daughter wrote.

In a statement shared by Brooklyn Vegan, Johansen added: “We’ve been living with my illness for a long time, still having fun, seeing friends and family, carrying on, but this tumble the day after Thanksgiving really brought us to a whole new level of debilitation. This is the worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my entire life. I’ve never been one to ask for help, but this is an emergency. Thank you.”