The singer of the iconic punk group The New York Dolls has been secretly battling stage 4 cancer for the last several years.
David Johansen’s wife of over a decade, Mara Hennessey, told Fox News Digital about his diagnosis.
“David has been living with stage 4 cancer for several years. He’s undergone chemo, radiation, immunotherapy and surgery, and weathered all the side effects and consequences of the various treatments, all with his indomitable spirit and incomparable sense of humor.
“He’s been nurtured by the love of his wife and daughter, while trying to spare his friends, colleagues, and fans and keep his troubles private. He’s always been like this,” Hennessey said.
“He claims it’s because he’s half Norwegian,” she continued.
Hennessey explained that the financial burden has taken a toll on their family.
“Our family have reached the point where we need more support. We’ve run up some serious debt caring for our beloved David, and are facing still more unmanageable expenses. This trying to be low-key is not sustainable,” she concluded.
Johansen’s daughter, Leah Hennessey, took to Instagram to share the sad news on Monday.
“David is a legend but he’s also my very real very sick dad,” she wrote alongside a picture of him on her Instagram story. “I have so much to say but I guess I’ll be posting about this a lot and I don’t have to say it all now. I know how dire so many of our situations are right now, and how much fundraising literally everyone is doing but if you love David or any of the magick (sic) he’s brought into the world please just take a minute to read this or share it. Thank you guys as always.”
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Leah also included a link to the Sweet Relief Musician Fund. The organization helps raise money for musicians who are struggling with health problems.
His daughter explained on the website that five years ago, Johansen’s cancer 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,” the website states.
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According to Leah, things took a turn for the worse during Thanksgiving.
“To make matters worse, the day after Thanksgiving, David fell down the stairs and broke his back in two places,” she wrote on the website.
Johansen has since had surgery, but Leah said, “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.”
Aside from the New York Dolls, Johansen is known for his alter ego, Buster Poindexter. In 1987, his song “Hot Hot Hot” was a Billboard hit.
