David Johansen’s “New-York Kukla” Expresses Gratitude to Fans for Their Support in Cancer Fundraising Efforts

David Johanssen’s Diagnosis

The New York Dolls frontman David Johanssen expressed his gratitude to fans for their support in raising funds after revealing his diagnosis of stage 4 cancer.

On Monday (February 10), the daughter of punk icon Leah Hennessey initiated a campaign to help cover her father’s treatment and care, noting that Johanssen has been undergoing cancer treatment for most of the last decade.

The page organized by the Sweet Relief musicians states that Johansen was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2020 and highlights that his condition worsened in November when he fell down the stairs and fractured his back in two places. To contribute, visit the funding page here.

Appreciation from Johanssen

Now, the musician and his wife Mara have shared a video update from the hospital, thanking their fans for their generosity in supporting the fundraising efforts.

Johanssen, speaking from his hospital bed, said: “Hello everyone. I just wanted to thank you all for giving us a big boost here with our campaign, I think you would call it.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edcyke9nbrk

“I’ve never asked for help in my life, and recently Mara taught me the beauty of asking for help when your chips are down,” he continued. “This is what I do, and it seems that this is very amazing.”

Fundraising Efforts

Hennessey’s description of the fundraising appeal reads: “He has always been a private person, as my mother Mara and he usually are, but we feel compelled to share this now due to the increasingly serious financial burden facing our family.”

“No matter how cheerful and wise David remains, he is physically weakened, and his needs exceed what we can provide without specialized professional help.”

In a statement shared by Brooklyn Vegan earlier this week, Johanssen remarked: “We’ve been living with my illness for a long time, still having fun, seeing friends and family, but this fall, the day after Thanksgiving, really pushed us to a completely new level from the inside.”

“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.”

The New York Dolls are regarded as one of the most influential proto-punk bands of the early to mid-1970s, releasing two studio albums—New York Dolls (1973) and Too Much Too Soon (1974)—before their split in 1976.