Legendary 1970s Punk Hero Who Starred With Bill Murray in 'Scrooged' Reveals He's Stricken With Stage Four Cancer and Brain Tumor — With Family Issuing Desperate Plea For Financial Help
Johansen announced his terrifying health battles.
Feb. 11 2025, Published 11:27 a.m. ET
A legendary 1970s punk hero has revealed his diagnosis with stage four cancer and a brain tumor.
RadarOnline.com can report the New York Dolls punk rocker David Johansen's family is seeking help from his fans to pay for round-the-clock professional care as he is unable to work.
Johansen revealed the heartbreaking news about his health battles.
Johansen, 75, revealed the heartbreaking news about his health battles via the Sweet Relief Fund with the help of his daughter, Leah Hennessey.
The message read: "My name is Leah Hennessey, and I’m David Johansen’s daughter. As some, but not many of you know, David has been in intensive treatment for stage 4 cancer for most of the past decade. Five years ago at the beginning of the pandemic we discovered that David’s cancer had progressed and he had a brain tumor.
"There have been complications ever since. 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.
"To make matters worse, the day after Thanksgiving David fell down the stairs and broke his back in two places."
It continued: "To continue his treatment and give him the best chance of recovery, David and Mara will need full time assistance. As hilarious and wise as David continues to be, he is physically debilitated and his care exceeds what we are capable of providing without specialized professional help.
"David has worked continuously as a singer and actor for the better part of six decades, to the delight of his fans all over the world. However for the past five years, David has been unable to work as a performer."
Hennessey admitted their family has "endured crisis after crisis," but they are hopeful to turn the page with the support of her father's loyal fans.
Depsite his health struggles, the message revealed that he is still hosting his weekly radio show The Mansion of Fun on Sirius XM.
Johansen is the sole surviving founding member of the punk band that became well known for their signature attire—women's makeup and at the time, very controversial clothing.
Back in the 1970s, the New York Dolls shot to fame after releasing their debut album and after the band's breakup in 1977, Johansen still remained active in the music industry and New York scene.
Besides being the punk rock band's frontman, many fans also know Johansen by his alter ego Buster Poindexter, and for also achieving massive success with the party anthem Hot Hot Hot in 1987.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Johansen also got into acting and landed a number of film and television roles in the 1980s and 1990s.
He is also very well known for playing the Ghost of Christmas Past in the 1988 film Scrooged alongside his pal, actor Bill Murray.
