David Johansen and his wife Mara Hennessey
Update: feb. 28th, 2025
David Johansen passed away peacefully at home, holding the hands of his wife Mara Hennessey and daughter Leah, in the sunlight surrounded by music and flowers.
After a decade of profoundly compromised health he died of natural causes at the age of 75.
David and his family were deeply moved by the outpouring of love and support they’ve experienced recently as the result of having gone public with their challenges. He was thankful that he had a chance to be in touch with so many friends and family before he passed.
He knew he was ecstatically loved.
"My mother and I would like to thank everyone for the fathomless love and support you’ve all shown us since we went public with David’s diagnosis.
We were able to make the last few weeks of David’s life with us as serene and anxiety free as possible. As well as alleviating some of our more pressing material concerns, this campaign did make David feel profoundly connected. He really did feel the love from everyone.
For the time being we will leave the fund open to contributions, to continue to pay off the debts accrued during David’s long illness.
We will share details about memorials and tributes soon. There will be several events celebrating David’s life and artistry, details to follow.
Thank you so much for the …LUV
Love,
Leah and Mara"
After a decade of profoundly compromised health he died of natural causes at the age of 75.
David and his family were deeply moved by the outpouring of love and support they’ve experienced recently as the result of having gone public with their challenges. He was thankful that he had a chance to be in touch with so many friends and family before he passed.
He knew he was ecstatically loved.
"My mother and I would like to thank everyone for the fathomless love and support you’ve all shown us since we went public with David’s diagnosis.
We were able to make the last few weeks of David’s life with us as serene and anxiety free as possible. As well as alleviating some of our more pressing material concerns, this campaign did make David feel profoundly connected. He really did feel the love from everyone.
For the time being we will leave the fund open to contributions, to continue to pay off the debts accrued during David’s long illness.
We will share details about memorials and tributes soon. There will be several events celebrating David’s life and artistry, details to follow.
Thank you so much for the …LUV
Love,
Leah and Mara"
update: Feb. 14th, 2025
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David and his daughter Leah
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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. |
David in the hospital
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.
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.
Our most immediate needs are full time nursing, physical therapy and funding for day to day vital living expenses. With professional specialized care, we are hopeful that David can regain some mobility and independence.
My mother’s favorite acronym for God is “Grace Over Drama.” Together we have endured crisis after crisis, but with the support of our community we hope to carry on laughing and loving our way through this most trying of times. Thank you for embracing our family, and for your love and generosity.
David was recently the subject of Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi’s documentary Personality Crisis: One Night Only which brilliantly captures an evening of David’s songs and storytelling, and gives a little context to the wild tapestry of David’s life. David was the lead singer and songwriter of the legendary New York Dolls, widely acknowledged as one of the first (and coolest) punk bands. David started his own group, the David Johansen band, before reinventing himself yet again in the 1980s as Buster Poindexter. Inspired by his passion for the blues and arcane American folk music David formed the group The Harry Smiths, and toured the world performing the songs of Howlin’ Wolf with Hubert Sumlin and Levon Helm. Of all these incarnations, David is most often recognized for his work in a handful of beloved films, like the Christmas classic Scrooged, and the race track comedy Let it Ride. He continues to host his weekly radio show “The Mansion of Fun” on Sirius XM. David had an exhibition of his paintings in New York this past summer at Elliot Templeton Fine Arts gallery.
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.
Our most immediate needs are full time nursing, physical therapy and funding for day to day vital living expenses. With professional specialized care, we are hopeful that David can regain some mobility and independence.
My mother’s favorite acronym for God is “Grace Over Drama.” Together we have endured crisis after crisis, but with the support of our community we hope to carry on laughing and loving our way through this most trying of times. Thank you for embracing our family, and for your love and generosity.
David was recently the subject of Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi’s documentary Personality Crisis: One Night Only which brilliantly captures an evening of David’s songs and storytelling, and gives a little context to the wild tapestry of David’s life. David was the lead singer and songwriter of the legendary New York Dolls, widely acknowledged as one of the first (and coolest) punk bands. David started his own group, the David Johansen band, before reinventing himself yet again in the 1980s as Buster Poindexter. Inspired by his passion for the blues and arcane American folk music David formed the group The Harry Smiths, and toured the world performing the songs of Howlin’ Wolf with Hubert Sumlin and Levon Helm. Of all these incarnations, David is most often recognized for his work in a handful of beloved films, like the Christmas classic Scrooged, and the race track comedy Let it Ride. He continues to host his weekly radio show “The Mansion of Fun” on Sirius XM. David had an exhibition of his paintings in New York this past summer at Elliot Templeton Fine Arts gallery.
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Photo by Bob Gruen
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Write check to:
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund
MEMO:
David Johansen Fund
Mail to:
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund
2650 E Imperial Hwy. Ste 208
Brea, CA 92821-6135
If you wish to donate items, services or develop a fundraising event please contact us at [email protected] or call 949-215-9620
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity. Federal ID# 95-4443269
Write check to:
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund
MEMO:
David Johansen Fund
Mail to:
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund
2650 E Imperial Hwy. Ste 208
Brea, CA 92821-6135
If you wish to donate items, services or develop a fundraising event please contact us at [email protected] or call 949-215-9620
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity. Federal ID# 95-4443269
