Sunday mourning coming down

David Johansen has died. He was the lead singer of the NY Dolls, one of my favorite bands of all time. I ended up watching the Scorsese documentary about him, titled "Personality Crisis", last night. It was part concert film, from a small NYC venue (the Carlyle) performance, and part archival footage and really captured David's range, along with his personality and voice.

To be a true creative is to morph and change, and it's why Bowie resonated so. David was similar to Bowie in both his chameleon aspect as well as his use of an alter ego. For Bowie it was Ziggy, for David Johansen, it was Buster Poindexter, a lounge singer who was created post New York Dolls era so that David could perform a whole range of songs. 

Listen to the first New York Dolls album and you'll see why they are the consummate proto punk band. They were such a seminal part of punk amd post punk, influencing everyone from the Sex Pistols to The Smiths. In fact, their song "Lonely Planet Boy" appears to have been a huge influence on one of my most treasured songs "There is a Light that Never Goes Out" by The Smiths. 

The New York Dolls challenged gender norms with their wild glam outfits with feather boas and high heels and big hair and makeup, a clear precursor to the glam metal bands of the eighties. But their music was perfectly composed classic rock (with a yet unknown punk edge because they did it first along with bands like The Stooges). Plus, come on, Johnny Thunders on guitar? He is so underrated. And David could write a hit song, they just never became hits and the New York Dolls disbanded after only a couple of studio albums, but their influence lives on. 

I guess it's hitting me because many of my idols have died or are aging. Which means I'm getting older. Mortality is something all humans must deal with eventually but does it have to come so soon? 

So for now, I'll sing along to "Trash" and "Personality Crisis" and imagine what it must have been like to be in the audience watching the New York Dolls in their heyday.