- Music. Drake abruptly cancels Australia and New Zealand tour
- Music. Former NBA legend Kevin Garnett leads the tributes to Roberta Flack after she died aged 88
The music world has been hit some sad news following word that New York Dolls frontman David Johansen has ed away at the age of 75.
The news was confirmed by Johansen's stepdaughter, Leah Hennessey, who stated he ed away at his Staten Island home on Friday.
Johansen's ing comes after he announced that he was suffering from stage four cancer, a brain tumour and a broken back just last month. These ailments had prevented him from being able to perform in recent years.
Johansen's career
The singer began his musical career with the Vagabond Missionaries, a local band, in the 1960s. A decade later he ed the New York Dolls and their self-titled debut album was then released in 1973.
The cover proved to be highly controversial as it featured five males in wigs, make-up and high heels. Their controversial look and music wasn't a commercial hit, as the album failed to make the Top 100 album sales charts.
Their next album, Too Much Too Soon, did even worse and as a result the band split in 1976, with Johansen becoming a solo performer.
Johansen also tried his luck in the acting world, portraying the Ghost of Christmas Past in the 1988 comedy "Scrooged" alongside Bill Murray and Carol Kane, as well as the 1989 action-comedy "Let It Ride" and 1993's "Mr. Nanny."
He also appeared in the HBO drama "Oz" alongside Christopher Meloni, Dean Winters, Harold Perrineau and J. K. Simmons.
During that time the New York Dolls began to build a cult following and as a result critics began to reconsider their albums. The band reunited in 2004, released three albums and embarked on a tour.
"When we started the Dolls... we were really such a gang, and it was like us against the world, and we were really trying to evolve music into something new, and it was, you know, very kind of almost militant to us," Johansen told host Terry Gross in an interview on "Fresh Air".
"Then over the years, you know, in the history books, like the 'Rolling Stone Complete Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll' or something, you look in the appendix and see where your name is and see what they say about you.... and (it) would always say, 'They were trashy. They were flashy."