David Johannsen
He came straight out of Staten Island, with an itch to rock like Mick Jagger. But David Johansen would carve out a much more eclectic niche for himself — first as the frontman for the groundbreaking glam-trash band the New York Dolls, then as an adventurous solo artist, then with a detour into chart fame via his alter ego Buster Poindexter, and finally with a return to his roots.
As the lead singer of the Dolls, Johansen was among a handful of performers (Iggy Pop and fellow Doll Johnny Thunders among them) to bridge the gap between glam-rock and punk. The Dolls' songs mere three-chord freight trains, but their presentation brought the cheeky gender-bending subversion of drag to the forefront of rock.
After the band ran its course, Johansen embarked on an ambitious solo career, demonstrating his facility in an array of pop subgenres and showcasing a soulful vocal prowess the Dolls had obscured. But it was his 1987 disc Buster Poindexter that dragged him, not entirely willingly, into the limelight. The eponymous character, a cocktail-toting swell, belted a lounge-lizard blend of jazz, pop and calyspo — including "Hot Hot Hot," a chart smash that made Buster a household name to fans who'd never heard of the Dolls.
In addition to his various musical explorations, Johansen has been seen in various films and TV series over the last few decades, including HBO's acclaimed prison drama, Oz. Most recently, he reunited with the Dolls for a couple of well received album and tours — and his barrier-smashing work with that band has at last gotten the recognition it deserved.
Our David Johansen T-shirt is fully licensed, endorsed and made from the softest, prewashed and shrunk cotton jesery. We faithfully reproduce the original article as tracked down by Worn Free from archive images.
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David Johannsen T-Shirts
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