Johnny Thunders (born John Anthony Genzale, Jr.; July 15, 1952 – April 23, 1991) was an American rock and roll / punk rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. He came to prominence in the early 1970s as a member of the New York Dolls. He later played with The Heartbreakers and as a solo artist. (More from Wikipedia)
Norris Easterbrook recalls that, after one gig, two New York kids enthusiastically approached him backstage while he was still in his make-up and girlfriend’s dress. He didn’t give the encounter much thought until several years later, when he saw the proto-punk band that had been formed by these two fans, New York Dolls in their first British television appearance. He immediately recognized the band’s guitarist from that meeting many years earlier: future punk stalwart Johnny Thunders who was all decked out in full drag-queen regalia.
(July 2013)
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The reissue of the album by the Klubs was named Album of the Year by Record Collector magazine. Their penchant for dressing up in their girlfriends’ and sisters’ clothes during concerts inspired several members of the cross-dressing, proto-punk band New York Dolls, whose members included future punk legend Johnny Thunders and David Johansen, who later became known as Buster Poindexter. Their story well illustrates how a relatively prominent rock band from a legendary musical center like Liverpool, England could nevertheless drop almost completely out of sight.
(July 2015)
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