| Johnny Thunders - NY Dolls/Heartbreakers |
Johnny Thunders bit the dust in New Orleans, on April 23rd 1991, aged 38.
Johnny Gazale AKA Johnny Thunders once said
"I wanna live till I die!" Although that statement
makes obvious sense, its also very prophetic and
inspiring from a man of few words.
A guy who would go on to personify rock 'n' roll
recklessness. This maverick figure courted death so
many times with his heroin addiction, seedy drug
deals and low life frequency. It's little wonder he ever
managed to produce such a ground breaking guitar
sound and his couldn't give a fuck stage persona
just seemed a natural draw.
A living legend in his own life time. He deserves
admiration for dragging his wasted carcass through
more bad scenes than anyone else in rock 'n' roll
without actually dying.
Thunders walked it like he talked it. His guitar style
was so influential on so many players its easier to
name the ones he wasn't an influence on. His
volume on stage was deafening. Discharge were
probably the loudest punk band I ever seen live, but
Johnny Thunders played the loudest, dirtiest guitar
I was ever lucky enough to witness. This diminutive
paleface blew Bones mega-tron riffs away with the
sleaziest raunchiest performance ever to come outta
punk rock. He could bend a note in such a depraved
way that once heard it was never forgotten. A real
guitar hero in the truest sense of the word.
Born John Anthony Genzale, in Queens New York on 15th July 1952 into second generation Neapolitan/Sicilian
heritage. A young Johnny grew up listening to
sounds (Ronettes, Shiffons and Shangrila's), he
could hear floating in from his older sister
Mariann's bedroom. Sounds he would revisit later
on in life. But for young Johnny it was baseball
which was his first true love. He recalled playing
from 8 in the morning till 8 at night. His father Emil
would've been proud of little Johnny if he'd hung
around long enough to see his son grow outta
diapers and into a pre-teen baseball hotshot.
But times were hard for the Gonzale household.
His mother Josephine soon had to bring up two
young children on her own, when Emil
disappeared off into the sunset womanising.
However his offspring son grew up into a talented
young baseball player with scouts from the Boston
Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillie's showing an
interest by the time he reached 14. It was a shame
that his sporting talent was cut short because of
one Little league ruling that insisted upon the
presence of a father figure on the scene of
promising players. A ruling which soon put paid to
the young starlets sporting opportunity.
However John traded his bat for a bass guitar and
joined various school combo's fluctuating between
bass and lead guitar. By the time he reached 18
he had the look of something quite unique on the
underground music scene and hooked up with
some bad boys from his neighbourhood. They
began jamming and formed the New York Dolls.
A psyched-out, glammed up, messed-up rag bag of sleaze, tease, sex and noise. But a band that would change
rock 'n' roll history. It was at this time that Thunders stole his legendary alias from the DC Comics character Johnny
Thunder. The New York Dolls made their live debut on Christmas eve 1971. Their influence was huge for future
generations of rebellion be it glam, punk and metal. Their whole couldn't give a fuck attitude, wild tranny image and
unique sound were benchmarks. Although the spectre of death always seemed to haunt hedonistic rock 'n' roll
bands. They only indulged in pot and acid intake during this period and were gaining a big interest for their obvious
talent. On a short trip to the UK to play some dates and
secure a recording contract drummer Billy Murcia drowned
in a bath after consuming Mandrax and alcohol. He was
aged 21. Devastated the band flew home the very next day.
Back in New York they recruited Jerry Nolan on drums and
resumed their catastrophic rise to cultdom. They had
secured a record deal and were playing extensively. It was
in the summer of 1973 while they were booked for a
residency at the Whiskey A Go Go in LA, that Johnny was
first introduced to Heroin. His new girlfriend and Sunset strip
groupie was Sabel Starr, whose sister's boyfriend just
happened to be Iggy Pop. Iggy who fronted the Stooges
had gained notoriety for a renowned drug taker but the
foursome were inseparable. With Johnny being a big Iggy
fan he must've thought, he'd try some of that. Which began
another major love affair that would dog his career and last
till his demise. When the Dolls split up in '75.
Johnny soon formed the Heartbreakers with Richard Hell
and Dolls drummer Jerry Nolan. Hell soon left and was replaced by Billy Rath along with Walter Lure on second
guitar. The Heartbreakers really made their impact when they got an invite to come to England in the winter of '76
on the cusp of the punk rock explosion headed by the Sex Pistols. Through links with Pistols manager Malcolm
McLaren who had worked with the Dolls before their demise.
The Heartbreakers joined the 'Anarchy' tour which was
promoting the new Sex Pistols 45 'Anarchy In The UK' and
touring the UK. With the Heartbreakers, on board Johnny
Thunders finally found his ultimate group and sound. The
Heartbreakers were Johnny's band and were often billed as
Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers. They gave us
the classic Heartbreakers heroin anthem, 'Chinese Rocks'
and the autobiographical 'Born To Lose'. The Heartbreakers
were giants in the field. And bought a New York sleaze to the
snotty UK punk scene. Johnny genuinely didn't give a fuck
about society and was to some degree inspirational not only
with his guitar and rock 'n' roll flamboyance, but he also bought
Smack to the young London punk scene. After spending a year
in London which saw the band do extensive UK tours and
recordings. He also managed to fit in time to marry his long
time girlfriend Julie, and had a child called Johnny. But a year
holed up in a strange country was a long time in Thunders
life and the Heartbreakers inevitably split in '78, without
gaining the much sought after major hit (apart from nefarious
ones in their London flat). They did however leave us with the
classic 'L.A.M.F. album. Which despite production was a punk rock classic.
Johnny's junkie reputation however had now slunk into an all time low. He even fronted a band called the Junkies.
His tortured spirit and rampant narcotic consumption wasn't a good combination. However he could still produce
rare moments of genius and gave us his favourite record 'So Alone' (on which Sex Pistols Steve Jones and Paul
Cook among others guested). The album featured heartbroken ballads such as 'You Cant Put Your Arms Around A
Memory'. Which he later endorsed as his favourite song. During this period he also briefly teamed up with ex-MC5
guitarist Wayne Kramer in the short lived group Gang War. Johnny would have numerous Heartbreakers come
backs and reunions over the next decade and continued to tour and record throughout the 1980's and 90's.
He would never however gain international or critical acclaim as his addiction proved too much for those who were
close to him. He was a very transient performer and led an almost constant nomadic lifestyle with bases in New
York, Paris, London and Scandinavia. Usually with a different girlfriend in tow. He had fathered 3 boys and one
girl from his various marriages and relationships and sporadically went into hibernation and self embalming. His
chaotic existence and often comatose performances, led to speculation about his health. He was often cited in the
music press during this period as dying or dead! Only to show up in some other part of the globe with a new
collaboration.
Johnny Thunders fan club president Nina
Antonia delivered her insightful biography 'In Cold
Blood' in November 1987, which is a highly
recommended read. Mr Thunders himself gave it
his backing when he appeared at London's
Limelight club for a solo set and book promotional
event. He scrawled his signature on copies of the
book. But later admitted "I didn't read that" ...
smiling "er ... I read the back, yeah".
Intoxicated by his own debauchery, he seemed
blind to everything except living on the edge. In
February 4th '89 I seen him at Wolverhampton's
Polytechnic 12 months after his critically acclaimed
'Copycats' album came out. He looked pretty good
as he marched through the crowd to the
downstairs dressing room in a long leather coat
and black bryl-creemed hair.
His band called the Oddballs employed a brass
section and buxom backing vocals, but were over
shadowed by his phenomenally loud guitar sound
which was overwhelmingly dirty. It was characterised
by sequences of blistering note bending dexterity.
According to one reviewer "he had never performed
with such enthusiasm - albeit tempered by a
touch of camp self-parody." I'll always remember
him skinning up a king size joint on stage with one
hand. Something I'd never seen before or since. He
takes a few draws and sticks the joint on the head of
his guitar. Only the voyeurs who came to witness a
bombed out rock 'n' roll casualty were disappointed
that night.
He would be dead within 2 years! It's March 1991
and unknown to most people apart from his doctor
and Jerry Nolan, Johnny Thunders was suffering
from bruises to his back and chest caused by
Leukaemia. He was very frail and exhausted. He
decided to move to New Orleans to record some new
material. However the big easy was to be his last
stop. Johnny Thunders the cat with 38 lives died in
New Orleans in April 1991 of an alleged Heroin and
methadone overdose. Although reports suggest he didn't have any lethal doses of drugs in his system. Like most of
his life this final departure was shrouded under suspicious circumstances — his body was found in advanced rigor
mortis curled up in a fetal position under a table and his apartment had been ransacked. His family never did get an
official coroners report. The New Orleans Police must've thought oh just another junkie OD.
Epitaph: Long after his death in 1991, Johnny Thunders musical legacy and outright rebellion continues to be
immersed in punk lore — Rolling Stone magazine likened Thunders’ lingering appeal to that of Sex Pistol, Sid
Vicious. The difference, the magazine said, "is that Thunders had talent".
In addition to his work with the New York Dolls and his band The Heartbreakers, he released six solo albums
and has been the focus of nearly 50 bootleg, live, compilation and tribute albums.
Johnny Thunders was buried at Mount Saint Mary's Cemetery, Queens, New York.
Peter Don't Care (April 2011)
Johnny Gazale AKA Johnny Thunders once said
"I wanna live till I die!" Although that statement
makes obvious sense, its also very prophetic and
inspiring from a man of few words.
A guy who would go on to personify rock 'n' roll
recklessness. This maverick figure courted death so
many times with his heroin addiction, seedy drug
deals and low life frequency. It's little wonder he ever
managed to produce such a ground breaking guitar
sound and his couldn't give a fuck stage persona
just seemed a natural draw.
A living legend in his own life time. He deserves
admiration for dragging his wasted carcass through
more bad scenes than anyone else in rock 'n' roll
without actually dying.
Thunders walked it like he talked it. His guitar style
was so influential on so many players its easier to
name the ones he wasn't an influence on. His
volume on stage was deafening. Discharge were
probably the loudest punk band I ever seen live, but
Johnny Thunders played the loudest, dirtiest guitar
I was ever lucky enough to witness. This diminutive
paleface blew Bones mega-tron riffs away with the
sleaziest raunchiest performance ever to come outta
punk rock. He could bend a note in such a depraved
way that once heard it was never forgotten. A real
guitar hero in the truest sense of the word.
Born John Anthony Genzale, in Queens New York on 15th July 1952 into second generation Neapolitan/Sicilian
heritage. A young Johnny grew up listening to
sounds (Ronettes, Shiffons and Shangrila's), he
could hear floating in from his older sister
Mariann's bedroom. Sounds he would revisit later
on in life. But for young Johnny it was baseball
which was his first true love. He recalled playing
from 8 in the morning till 8 at night. His father Emil
would've been proud of little Johnny if he'd hung
around long enough to see his son grow outta
diapers and into a pre-teen baseball hotshot.
But times were hard for the Gonzale household.
His mother Josephine soon had to bring up two
young children on her own, when Emil
disappeared off into the sunset womanising.
However his offspring son grew up into a talented
young baseball player with scouts from the Boston
Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillie's showing an
interest by the time he reached 14. It was a shame
that his sporting talent was cut short because of
one Little league ruling that insisted upon the
presence of a father figure on the scene of
promising players. A ruling which soon put paid to
the young starlets sporting opportunity.
However John traded his bat for a bass guitar and
joined various school combo's fluctuating between
bass and lead guitar. By the time he reached 18
he had the look of something quite unique on the
underground music scene and hooked up with
some bad boys from his neighbourhood. They
began jamming and formed the New York Dolls.
A psyched-out, glammed up, messed-up rag bag of sleaze, tease, sex and noise. But a band that would change
rock 'n' roll history. It was at this time that Thunders stole his legendary alias from the DC Comics character Johnny
Thunder. The New York Dolls made their live debut on Christmas eve 1971. Their influence was huge for future
generations of rebellion be it glam, punk and metal. Their whole couldn't give a fuck attitude, wild tranny image and
unique sound were benchmarks. Although the spectre of death always seemed to haunt hedonistic rock 'n' roll
bands. They only indulged in pot and acid intake during this period and were gaining a big interest for their obvious
talent. On a short trip to the UK to play some dates and
secure a recording contract drummer Billy Murcia drowned
in a bath after consuming Mandrax and alcohol. He was
aged 21. Devastated the band flew home the very next day.
Back in New York they recruited Jerry Nolan on drums and
resumed their catastrophic rise to cultdom. They had
secured a record deal and were playing extensively. It was
in the summer of 1973 while they were booked for a
residency at the Whiskey A Go Go in LA, that Johnny was
first introduced to Heroin. His new girlfriend and Sunset strip
groupie was Sabel Starr, whose sister's boyfriend just
happened to be Iggy Pop. Iggy who fronted the Stooges
had gained notoriety for a renowned drug taker but the
foursome were inseparable. With Johnny being a big Iggy
fan he must've thought, he'd try some of that. Which began
another major love affair that would dog his career and last
till his demise. When the Dolls split up in '75.
Johnny soon formed the Heartbreakers with Richard Hell
and Dolls drummer Jerry Nolan. Hell soon left and was replaced by Billy Rath along with Walter Lure on second
guitar. The Heartbreakers really made their impact when they got an invite to come to England in the winter of '76
on the cusp of the punk rock explosion headed by the Sex Pistols. Through links with Pistols manager Malcolm
McLaren who had worked with the Dolls before their demise.
The Heartbreakers joined the 'Anarchy' tour which was
promoting the new Sex Pistols 45 'Anarchy In The UK' and
touring the UK. With the Heartbreakers, on board Johnny
Thunders finally found his ultimate group and sound. The
Heartbreakers were Johnny's band and were often billed as
Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers. They gave us
the classic Heartbreakers heroin anthem, 'Chinese Rocks'
and the autobiographical 'Born To Lose'. The Heartbreakers
were giants in the field. And bought a New York sleaze to the
snotty UK punk scene. Johnny genuinely didn't give a fuck
about society and was to some degree inspirational not only
with his guitar and rock 'n' roll flamboyance, but he also bought
Smack to the young London punk scene. After spending a year
in London which saw the band do extensive UK tours and
recordings. He also managed to fit in time to marry his long
time girlfriend Julie, and had a child called Johnny. But a year
holed up in a strange country was a long time in Thunders
life and the Heartbreakers inevitably split in '78, without
gaining the much sought after major hit (apart from nefarious
ones in their London flat). They did however leave us with the
classic 'L.A.M.F. album. Which despite production was a punk rock classic.
Johnny's junkie reputation however had now slunk into an all time low. He even fronted a band called the Junkies.
His tortured spirit and rampant narcotic consumption wasn't a good combination. However he could still produce
rare moments of genius and gave us his favourite record 'So Alone' (on which Sex Pistols Steve Jones and Paul
Cook among others guested). The album featured heartbroken ballads such as 'You Cant Put Your Arms Around A
Memory'. Which he later endorsed as his favourite song. During this period he also briefly teamed up with ex-MC5
guitarist Wayne Kramer in the short lived group Gang War. Johnny would have numerous Heartbreakers come
backs and reunions over the next decade and continued to tour and record throughout the 1980's and 90's.
He would never however gain international or critical acclaim as his addiction proved too much for those who were
close to him. He was a very transient performer and led an almost constant nomadic lifestyle with bases in New
York, Paris, London and Scandinavia. Usually with a different girlfriend in tow. He had fathered 3 boys and one
girl from his various marriages and relationships and sporadically went into hibernation and self embalming. His
chaotic existence and often comatose performances, led to speculation about his health. He was often cited in the
music press during this period as dying or dead! Only to show up in some other part of the globe with a new
collaboration.
Johnny Thunders fan club president Nina
Antonia delivered her insightful biography 'In Cold
Blood' in November 1987, which is a highly
recommended read. Mr Thunders himself gave it
his backing when he appeared at London's
Limelight club for a solo set and book promotional
event. He scrawled his signature on copies of the
book. But later admitted "I didn't read that" ...
smiling "er ... I read the back, yeah".
Intoxicated by his own debauchery, he seemed
blind to everything except living on the edge. In
February 4th '89 I seen him at Wolverhampton's
Polytechnic 12 months after his critically acclaimed
'Copycats' album came out. He looked pretty good
as he marched through the crowd to the
downstairs dressing room in a long leather coat
and black bryl-creemed hair.
His band called the Oddballs employed a brass
section and buxom backing vocals, but were over
shadowed by his phenomenally loud guitar sound
which was overwhelmingly dirty. It was characterised
by sequences of blistering note bending dexterity.
According to one reviewer "he had never performed
with such enthusiasm - albeit tempered by a
touch of camp self-parody." I'll always remember
him skinning up a king size joint on stage with one
hand. Something I'd never seen before or since. He
takes a few draws and sticks the joint on the head of
his guitar. Only the voyeurs who came to witness a
bombed out rock 'n' roll casualty were disappointed
that night.
He would be dead within 2 years! It's March 1991
and unknown to most people apart from his doctor
and Jerry Nolan, Johnny Thunders was suffering
from bruises to his back and chest caused by
Leukaemia. He was very frail and exhausted. He
decided to move to New Orleans to record some new
material. However the big easy was to be his last
stop. Johnny Thunders the cat with 38 lives died in
New Orleans in April 1991 of an alleged Heroin and
methadone overdose. Although reports suggest he didn't have any lethal doses of drugs in his system. Like most of
his life this final departure was shrouded under suspicious circumstances — his body was found in advanced rigor
mortis curled up in a fetal position under a table and his apartment had been ransacked. His family never did get an
official coroners report. The New Orleans Police must've thought oh just another junkie OD.
Epitaph: Long after his death in 1991, Johnny Thunders musical legacy and outright rebellion continues to be
immersed in punk lore — Rolling Stone magazine likened Thunders’ lingering appeal to that of Sex Pistol, Sid
Vicious. The difference, the magazine said, "is that Thunders had talent".
In addition to his work with the New York Dolls and his band The Heartbreakers, he released six solo albums
and has been the focus of nearly 50 bootleg, live, compilation and tribute albums.
Johnny Thunders was buried at Mount Saint Mary's Cemetery, Queens, New York.
Peter Don't Care (April 2011)
