Johnny Thunders

23 April 1991 – New York Doll JOHNNY THUNDERS Passed Away This Day 34 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

23 April 2025

New York doll JOHNNY THUNDERS born John Anthony Genzale passed away today 34 years ago, on 23 April, due to a drug overdose. He was 39. His mother was of Italian descent, and his father was of Italian, Russian-Jewish, and German-Jewish ancestry.

Before he joined (1971) the glam and glitter gang New York Dolls, he had a couple bands of his own. He was a fanatic fan of Keith Richards. He copied his guitar style and his poses, while his sister styled his hair like Keef.

After 2 albums Johnny left to jump on the punk train and
formed The Heartbreakers with Richard Hell, who left soon.

Eventually, he started a solo career. He assembled a cast of ’70s punk and rock stars – Chrissie Hynde, Phil Lynott, Peter Perrett, Steve Marriott, and Sex Pistols‘ Paul Cook, and Steve Jones, among others – for his debut solo LP So Alone, released in 1978.

His masterstroke single You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory
was/is certainly his most memorable achievement.

Studio version

Live

Story – Discography

You Can’t Put Your Arms Around New York Doll JOHNNY THUNDERS Who Passed Away This Day In 1991

Posted on by JL

23 April 2023

John Anthony Genzale was born 70 years ago today in Queens, New York. His mother was of Italian descent, and his father was of Italian, Russian-Jewish, and German-Jewish ancestry.
After years of drug abuse, the rock guitar hero collapsed and died in 1991. R.I.P.

Before he joined (1971) the New York Dolls, the coolest glam and glitter gang in rock ‘n roll history, he had a couple bands of his own. He was a fanatic fan of Keith Richards. He copied his guitar style and his poses, while his sister styled his hair like Keef.

After 2 albums Johnny left to jump on the punk train and
formed The Heartbreakers with Richard Hell, who left soon.

Eventually, he started a solo career. He assembled a cast of ’70s punk and rock stars – Chrissie Hynde, Phil Lynott, Peter Perrett, Steve Marriott, and Pistols Paul Cook, and Steve Jones, among others – for his debut solo LP So Alone, released in 1978.

His masterstroke single You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory
was/is certainly his most memorable achievement.

Studio version

Live

JOHNNY THUNDERS: Bio – Discography

JOHNNY THUNDERS And His HEARTBREAKERS Behaved Like Motherfuckers 45 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Back in time

4 October 2022

Band HEARTBREAKERS
Who/when: Formed by New York Dolls members Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan
in April 1975. Richard Hell came in to play bass and share songwriting/vocals. Walter Lure joined on rhythm guitar. A year later Hell was fired as he wanted to be the co-frontman along Thunders.

Anniversary album: L. A. M. F. (Like A Mother Fucker)
Released: 3 October 1977 – 45 years ago.

Pitchfork: “Like their peers in the city, the Heartbreakers took classic rock’n’roll archetypes and gave them extra doses of fuzz, muscle, and bite. Considering there were two New York Dolls in the band and that band’s self-titled debut had a masterful handle of tough, glammy rock’n’roll, it makes sense. The impressive thing on L.A.M.F., then, isn’t the power– it’s the diversity in their songs. At the center of the album, there’s Nolan’s hamfisted caveman crash in “I Wanna Be Loved”, which is followed by the jangling ballad “It’s Not Enough”, and that leads to “Chinese Rocks”. Unlike the Ramones, the songs don’t come across as loose clones of one another– they each have their own feeling and sound. Some of them, like “Goin’ Steady”, even have killer guitar solos.” Score: 8.5/10.

Turn Up The Volume: Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan wanted to jump on
the British punk wagon, formed the Heartbreakers and left NYC for London.

But kudos to the motherrockers who arrived in England’s capital with a classic punk monster of a record. To bad that the original LP sounded like, eh, trash, due to a horrible production/mix. Fortunately, in 1994, the lost 1977 mixes popped up, and with them a much better sound quality was fabricated.

Full 1994 remixed album

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HEARTBREAKERS: Bio – Discography

Happy 70 To JOHNNY THUNDERS

Posted on by JL

15 July 2022

John Anthony Genzale was born 70 years ago today in Queens, New York. His mother was of Italian descent, and his father was of Italian, Russian-Jewish, and German-Jewish ancestry.

Before he joined (1971) the New York Dolls, the coolest glam and glitter gang in rock ‘n roll history, he had a couple bands of his own. He was a fanatic fan of Keith Richards. He copied his guitar style and his poses, while his sister styled his hair like Keef.

After 2 albums Johnny left to jump on the punk train and
formed The Heartbreakers with Richard Hell, who left soon.

Eventually, he started a solo career. He assembled a cast of ’70s punk and rock stars – Chrissie Hynde, Phil Lynott, Peter Perrett, Steve Marriott, and Pistols Paul Cook, and Steve Jones, among others – for his debut solo LP So Alone, released in 1978.

His masterstroke single You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory
was/is certainly his most memorable achievement.

After years of drug abuse, the rock guitar hero collapsed and died in 1991. R.I.P.

Three great Thunders moments

– NEW YORK DOLLS –

– THE HEARTBREAKERS –

– SOLO –

JOHNNY THUNDERS: Bio – Discography