David Johansen on the cover of his 1987 eponymous debut as Buster Poindexter

David Johansen (born January 9, 1950, Staten Island, NY) is an American rock, punk, blues and pop singer, songwriter and actor. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (883x930, 555 KB) Summary Album cover for Buster Poindexters Buster Poindexter Licensing This image is of a music album or single cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the album or the... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (883x930, 555 KB) Summary Album cover for Buster Poindexters Buster Poindexter Licensing This image is of a music album or single cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the album or the... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An eponym is the name of a person, whether real or fictitious, which has (or is thought to have) given rise to the name of a particular place, tribe, discovery or other item. ... A debut album is the first released record album by an artist or a band. ... January 9 is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Staten Island lies to the southwest of the rest of New York City. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... The blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on a pentatonic scale and a characteristic twelve-bar chord progression. ... For Popular music (music that is popular, rather than of a specific genre or style), see Popular music. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Originally influenced by Mick Jagger and by Rob Tyner of MC5, Johansen began his career as the singer of the protopunk band, the New York Dolls, in the early 1970s. The bulk of the material was written by Johansen and guitarist Johnny Thunders, who left in 1975. Wax figure of Mick Jagger at Prague wax museum Sir Michael Philip Mick Jagger (born July 26, 1943) is an English rock musician, actor, writer, songwriter, record and film producer and businessman. ... Robin Tyner (original name Robert Derminer December 12, 1944—September 18, 1991) was lead singer for the American hard rock band MC5. ... MC5 wearing White Panther Party buttons. ... Protopunk is a term used to describe a number of performers who were important precursors of punk rock, or who have been cited by early punk rockers as influential. ... New York Dolls, 1973 The New York Dolls are a rock music group formed in New York City in 1971. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... Johnny Thunders Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr (July 15, 1952 - April 23, 1991), was a rock and roll guitarist and singer, first with the New York Dolls, the proto-punk glam rockers of the early 70s. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ...

After the dissolution of the final Dolls lineup in early 1977, Johansen embarked on a solo career. His first two albums, "David Johansen" and "In Style," featured original songs and were performed with bravado and wit in the live shows that followed. Several CD releases, including "Live It Up" and "The David Johansen Group Live," confirm his reputation as a great live act. The songwriting continued strong on the studio releases "Here Comes the Night" (featuring his signature song "Heart of Gold") and "Sweet Revenge," but Johansen didn't alter his style to accommodate disco or other fashions and sales of both were disappointing. In the late 1980s belated commercial success came his way under the pseudonym Buster Poindexter, performing a mixture of jazz, lounge, calypso, and novelty songs and appearing as part of the house band on the television program Saturday Night Live. As Poindexter he scored his first hit song, "Hot Hot Hot" which, in an interview on National Public Radio he called "the bane of my existence," owing to its pervasive popularity. He can also be seen in the documentary film "Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus" in which he does the most incredible version of "James Alley Blues" from a motel room. For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ... Jazz is an original American musical art form originating around the early 1920s in New Orleans, rooted in Western music technique and theory, and is marked by the profound cultural contributions of African Americans. ... The term lounge can refer to: a living room in a private house, a public waiting area, provided with seating, as in a hotel or airport an Airline lounge is a private waiting area offered by airlines to pecial customers or to those who pay an extra fee lounge music... Calypso might refer to one of several things: Calypso is the name of a sea nymph in Greek mythology; Calypso music is a style of Caribbean folk music; Calypso is the name of an album sung by Harry Belafonte; Calypso is the name of a moon of Saturn; 53 Kalypso... Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute comedy-variety show based in New York City which has been broadcast by NBC nearly every Saturday night since its debut on October 11, 1975. ... Hot Hot Hot is the title of a 1982 soca song by Arrow (Alphonsus Cassell). ... NPR logo NPR redirects here. ...

Johansen acted in several films during the 1980s and 1990s, and had a brief role on the HBO drama Oz. He also appeared in the television series Pete and Pete, in the episode On Golden Pete, in which he played a park ranger. One of his more memorable roles is of a wisecracking ghost of Christmas past in Scrooged. He then turned to the rendition of country blues with his backup group, The Harry Smiths. He is currently touring with a re-formed version of the New York Dolls. The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ... The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive. ... HBO (Home Box Office) is a premium cable television network with headquarters in New York City. ... Oz has several meanings: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a childrens story written by L. Frank Baum The Wizard of Oz is the title of various works derived from it. ... The Adventures of Pete and Pete was an American television series about two brothers named Pete which aired on the Nickelodeon cable channel. ... Scrooged is a hit 1988 comedy film based on Charles Dickens classic story, A Christmas Carol, and follows the Dickens story closely, but sets it in modern times. ... New York Dolls, 1973 The New York Dolls are a rock music group formed in New York City in 1971. ...