How many band members did New York Dolls have? What we know as lead singer David Johansen dies at 75

David Johansen, the legendary rock star, died on February 28 at his home in New York at the age of 75. The New York Dolls frontman was the only living person in the renowned rock 'n' roll band before his unfortunate demise.

The punk rock legend's family spokesperson, Jeff Kilgour, issued a statement to The Associated Press regarding David's health ailments, stating that he was battling against a brain tumor and stage 4 cancer.

News concerning his physical health was shared earlier in February. According to a report by The Independent, his stepdaughter talked about how the lead singer has been experiencing a rough patch due to cancer for most of the time in the last ten years. Hi wife, Mara Hennessey, and stepdaughter, Leah Hennessey, remain to cherish David Johansen's memory.

Formed in 1971, the New York Dolls saw multiple members joining the band at different times, including during their reunion. However, the band originally started with five talented artists: lead singer David Johansen, guitarists Johnny Thunders and Sylvain Sylvain, bassist Arthur Kane, and drummer Billy Murcia. Later, Jerry Nolan joined the group after Murcia passed away on November 6, 1972.

Following his diagnosis, David Johansen's health worsened due to the tumor. He had been dealing with this condition since the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unfortunately, David broke two vertebrae during Thanksgiving, leaving him bedridden and incapacitated. He spoke to Rolling Stone and expressed his discomfort after the incident. He said:

"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."

Sharing his distress, he added:

"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."

In 2020, Leah let the world know about her father's upsetting health updates and penned on her Instagram story:

"David is a legend but he's also my very real, very sick dad."

How did the other David Johansen's New York Dolls members die?

The band kickstarted its first tour in the UK in the 1970s. This illustrious moment turned into a tragic loss as Murcia lost his life due to a drug overdose at a party.

According to the coroner's report, Johnny Thunders died from a cocaine and methadone overdose. His body was discovered at a guest house in New Orleans. He passed away on April 23, 1991.

Jerry Nolan, another founding member of the New York Dolls, lost his life to a stroke in New York City. He passed away on January 14, 1992, at the age of 45.

At the age of 55, Arthur Kane lost his life on July 13, 2004. He died in Los Angeles from leukemia, according to a report by The New York Times. The band's manager, Darren Hill, shared the unfortunate news. The tragic update of the bassist's demise came just a couple of weeks after a reunion event.

In 2018, Sylvain Sylvain was diagnosed with bladder cancer. After receiving treatment for a couple of years, he died on January 13, 2021, at his home in Nashville at the age of 69.

David Johansen was the last surviving founding member of the iconic band.