David Johansen (1950- ) is an American singer/songwriter best known as the lead singer of legendary NYC glam rock band New York Dolls and for his chart-topping calypso pop alter ego Buster Poindexter.

Johansen has fronted the New York Dolls through every phase of its existence, from its initial mercurial (if commercially unsuccessful) existence from 1971-1977, to its ongoing reunion, begun in 2004. After its first breakup, Johansen pursued a solo career, gaining some attention when he opened for The Who in 1982. However, his wildest success came under the alter-ego stage name Buster Poindexter, whose cover of Arrow’s calypso hit “Hot Hot Hot”, turned into such a pervasive, all-consuming hit that Johansen later referred to as “the bane of my existence”.

Since the 1980s, Johansen has also enjoyed an active career in acting, appearing in films and TV series including Scrooged, The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Oz and the 1994 remake of Car 54, Where Are You?. Johansen also hosts a weekly free-form radio show on Sirius XM’s The Loft, called David Johansen’s Mansion of Fun. Most recently, Johansen has revived the Buster Poindexter character for a lounge-act residency on the Upper East Side in 2016.

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