SWEET RELIEF MUSICIANS FUND ANNOUNCESDAVID JOHANSEN FUND

2/10/2025

David Johansen with his wife, Mara Hennessey. Photo credit: Gerry Visco

New York, NY (February 10, 2025) - Just five years ago, amid the beginning of the pandemic, singer/songwriter David Johansen discovered his aggressive cancer had progressed and he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, leading to complications ever since. He has not made his diagnosis public as he is generally a very private person, however due to the increasingly severe financial burden his family is facing, he is ready to share his story. On top of the cancer diagnosis, David took a fall on the day after Thanksgiving and broke his back in two places, which required surgery. Despite a successful procedure, David is completely bedridden and incapacitated, relying on around the clock care. To continue his treatment and give him the best chance of recovery, David will need full time assistance.

Assisting in the Johansen family recovery efforts, Sweet Relief launched the David Johansen Fund. The most immediate needs are full time nursing, physical therapy and funding for day to day vital living expenses. With professional specialized care, the Johansen family remains hopeful that David can regain some mobility and independence.

Johansen shares “We’ve been living with my illness for a long time, still having fun, seeing friends & family, carrying on, but this tumble the day after Thanksgiving really brought us to a whole new level of debilitation. This is the worst pain i’ve ever experienced in my entire life. I’ve never been one to ask for help but this is an emergency. Thank you.”

Aric Steinberg, Executive Director at Sweet Relief Musicians Fund adds “Sweet Relief is honored to help David and his family during this difficult time in their lives. Our Directed Artist Funds can provide a meaningful solution when the community rallies around the recipient, and we anticipate that David’s community will be eager to help here. His influence on the musical landscape with the New York Dolls is indelible, and his career as an actor and an artist has touched many people around the world. He’s been knocked down but we’re here to help him back up with the help of his family, friends and wider community of supporters.”

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.

For more information on the David Johansen Fund, visit: https://www.sweetrelief.org/davidjohansenfund.html

Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides services and financial assistance for career musicians and music industry professionals. Grants are earmarked for medical and vital living expenses, including insurance premiums, prescriptions, medical treatment and operative procedures, housing costs, food costs, utilities, and other basic necessities.

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For Sweet Relief Musicians Fund press inquiries please contact:
Jeff Kilgour | The Syndicate | [email protected] | 917.678.4420
Brendan Bourke | The Syndicate | [email protected] | 347.564.2927
Allie Gruensfelder | The Syndicate | [email protected] | 201.864.0900 x264

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