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Johnny Thunders

Background information
Birth name John Anthony Genzale, Jr
Born July 15, 1952
New York City, NY, USA
Died April 23, 1991 (aged 38)
New Orleans, LA, USA
Genre(s) Rock and roll, punk rock, glam rock
Occupation(s) Musician, Songwriter
Instrument(s) Guitar, Vocals
Years active 1971–1991
Associated acts New York Dolls, The Heartbreakers
Notable instrument(s)
Les Paul Junior

Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr (July 15, 1952 - April 23, 1991), was an American rock and roll guitarist, singer and songwriter. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African Glam rock (also known as glitter rock) is a sub-genre of Rock music that developed in the UK in the post- Hippie early 1970s which was "performed by A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with Speech. For the self-titled debut album see New York Dolls (album The New York Dolls are an American Glam rock band formed in This article is about the punk group For information on Tom Petty's backing band see The Heartbreakers. The Gibson Les Paul Jr was initially released in 1954 as an affordable entry level Les Paul electric guitar Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both

Though he disapproved of the term "punk rock," Thunders is widely recognized as a foundational influence on the genre, particularly for his penetrating guitar sound. He came to prominence in the early '70s as a member of the New York Dolls, and afterwards became familiar figure on the New York punk scene, both with The Heartbreakers and as a solo artist. For the self-titled debut album see New York Dolls (album The New York Dolls are an American Glam rock band formed in The City of New York This article is about the punk group For information on Tom Petty's backing band see The Heartbreakers.

Thunders struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, and died under mysterious circumstances.

Contents

Biography

Early life and career

Genzale was born July 15, 1952, and grew up in Jackson Heights, NY, in a second generation Italian family. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. As a boy he played baseball but could not join the Little League as it required the presence of the youth's father. Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each

Under the name "Johnny Volume", Genzale began performing music at Quintano High School with "Johnny and the Jaywalkers. "

In 1968 he started going to the Fillmore East on weekends and later a West Village bar on Bleecker Street, Nobodys. Fillmore East was promoter Bill Graham 's late Sixties / early Seventies rock palace in the East Village area of New He got a job as a salesclerk at Da Nazz leather shop on Bleecker. It was on Bleecker Street that he met future Dolls Arthur Kane and Billy Murcia. He joined their band, "Actress", which eventually became the New York Dolls when David Johannsen and Sylvain Sylvain joined in 1971. At this time John Genzale renamed himself Johnny Thunders, after a comic book of the same name.

They recorded two critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful albums, The New York Dolls and Too Much Too Soon. The band was managed, for a short time, by Malcolm McLaren and was an inspiration for the Sex Pistols. Malcolm McLaren (born Malcolm Robert Andrew Edwards on January 22 1946 in London) is an English Impresario and musician The Sex Pistols are an English Punk rock band that formed in London in 1975

In 1975 The original line-up for the Dolls broke up. Their early recordings are still in print today and continue to influence young bands with their trash/glam/punk attitude.

Post-New York Dolls

He formed The Heartbreakers with Dolls drummer Jerry Nolan, and Television bassist Richard Hell. This article is about the punk group For information on Tom Petty's backing band see The Heartbreakers. Jerry Nolan ( May 7, 1946 &ndash January 14, 1992) was an American Punk rock Drummer, best known for playing with Television, formed in New York City in 1973 is an American Rock music band Richard Hell (born Richard Meyers; October 2, 1949) is an American Singer, Songwriter, Bass guitarist Ex-Demons guitarist Walter Lure was soon added. After Hell unsuccessfully tried to usurp Johnny's place as lead singer, he left to form Richard Hell and the Voidoids. The Voidoids, also known as Richard Hell and The Voidoids, were a New York City Punk rock band of the late 1970s and early Hell was replaced by Billy Rath.

With Thunders leading the band, the Heartbreakers toured America and Britain, releasing one official album, L.A.M.F., in 1977. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located LAMF is the only studio album by the Punk rock band Heartbreakers, which included such musicians as Walter Lure Billy Rath and Johnny Thunders L. A. M. F. is a punk classic that documents the important bridge between the U. S. and U. K punk scenes. The group relocated to the UK, where their popularity was significantly greater than it was in the U. S. , particularly among punk bands.

In late 1979 Thunders began performing in a band called Gang War. Other members included John Morgan, Ron Cooke, Philippe Marcade and former MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer. The MC5 ( Motor City Five) was an American Hard rock band formed in Lincoln Park Michigan in 1964 and active until Wayne Kramer may refer to Wayne Kramer (guitarist (born 1948 American guitarist Wayne Kramer (filmmaker (born 1965 South African They recorded several demos and performed live several times before disbanding, with Zodiac Records releasing an EP in 1987. Zodiac Records has been the name of at least five different Record labels In the 1950s a United States based company headquartered in New York Bootlegs of their demos and live performances are circulating; One semi-official live/studio vinyl only LP was released on Zodiac in 1990, credited to Thunders and Kramer and titled Gang War, it is easily available from specialist retailers.

Thunders recorded a number of solo albums beginning with So Alone in 1978. So Alone is a 1978 album by Johnny Thunders, then leader of The Heartbreakers and formerly lead guitarist for the New York Dolls. The notoriously drug-fueled recording sessions featured a core band of Thunders, bassist Phil Lynott, drummer Paul Cook, and guitarist Steve Jones, with guest appearances from Chrissie Hynde, Steve Marriott, Walter Lure, Billy Rath, and Peter Perrett of The Only Ones. Philip Parris Lynott (20 August 1949 – 4 January 1986 was a Singer, Bassist, Instrumentalist, and Songwriter, who first came to prominence Paul Cook, born on 20 July 1956, is an English Drummer and member of the Punk rock band Sex Pistols. Stephen Phillip Jones (born 3 September, 1955 in Shepherds Bush, London) is an English rock Guitarist Chrissie Hynde (born Christine Ellen Hynde, 7 September 1951 Akron Ohio) is an American rock musician best known as the leader of the band The Pretenders Stephen Peter Marriott ( January 30 1947 - April 20 1991) popularly known as Steve Marriott, was a successful and versatile Peter Perrett (born Peter Albert Neil Perrett on 8 April, 1952 in King's College Hospital, Camberwell, London) is an The Only Ones are an English Rock and roll band They were initially active in the late 1970s and were associated with Punk rock, yet straddled the musical After its release, Thunders and Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious played in the Living Dead for a short time. The Sex Pistols are an English Punk rock band that formed in London in 1975 John Simon Ritchie (born May 10, 1957, died February 2, 1979) better known as Sid Vicious, was an English Punk The CD version of the album contains four bonus tracks, including the single "Dead or Alive," one of Thunders' finest post-Dolls moments.

During the early 1980s, Thunders re-formed The Heartbreakers for various tours; the group recorded their final album in 1984.

In 1985, he released Que Sera Sera, a collection of new songs that showed he could still perform convincingly. Three years later he recorded Copy Cats, an album of rock and R&B covers with vocalist Patti Palladin.

Thunders kept performing and recording until his death in 1991, but problems with heroin addiction kept his output and song writing sporadic during the 1980s. Heroin ( INN: diacetylmorphine, BAN: diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid synthesized from Morphine, a derivative These bands would be formed ad hoc, using Jerry Nolan as a mainstay. Ad hoc is a Latin phrase which means "for this [ Purpose ]"

His final recording was a cover of "Born to Lose" with German punk rock band Die Toten Hosen, recorded 36 hours before his death. Die Toten Hosen is a German punk band from Düsseldorf. They have enjoyed decades-long mass appeal in Germany

Death

Many rumors surround Thunders' death at the St. Peter House in New Orleans, Louisiana in April 1991. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America He apparently died of drug-related causes, but it has been speculated that it was the result of foul play. According to the autobiography Lobotomy: Surviving The Ramones, Dee Dee Ramone took a call in New York the next day from Stevie Klasson, Johnny's rhythm guitar player. Dee Dee Ramone ( Douglas Glenn Colvin) ( September 18, 1951 - June 5, 2002) was a German American Songwriter New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous "They told me that Johnny had gotten mixed up with some bastards. . . who ripped him off for his methadone supply. They had given him LSD and then murdered him. He had gotten a pretty large supply of methadone in England, so he could travel and stay away from those creeps - the drug dealers, Thunders imitators, and losers like that. "[1]

What is known for certain is that Johnny's room (no. 37) was ransacked and most of his possessions were missing (passport, makeup, clothes). Rigor mortis had set in with his body positioned in an unnatural state, described by eyewitnesses as "like a pretzel," underneath a coffee table. Rigor mortis is one of the recognizable signs of Death ( Latin mors mortis) that is caused by a chemical change in the Muscles Friends and acquaintances acknowledge he had not been using heroin for some time, relying on his methadone prescriptions. The police did not open a criminal investigation.

Singer Willy DeVille, who lived next door to the hotel in which Thunders died, described his death this way:

I don't know how the word got out that I lived next door, but all of a sudden the phone started ringing and ringing. Willy DeVille (b August 25 1950 is an American Singer and Songwriter. Rolling Stone was calling, the Village Voice called, his family called, and then his guitar player called. I felt bad for all of them. It was a tragic end, and I mean, he went out in a blaze of glory, ha ha ha, so I thought I might as well make it look real good, you know, out of respect, so I just told everybody that when Johnny died he was laying down on the floor with his guitar in his hands. I made that up. When he came out of the St. Peter's Guest House, rigor mortis had set in to such an extent that his body was in a U shape. When you're laying on the floor in a fetal position, doubled over - well, when the body bag came out, it was in a U. It was pretty awful. [2]

An autopsy was conducted by the New Orleans coroner, but served only to compound the mysteries. According to Thunders' biographer Nina Antonia as posted on the Jungle Records web site, the level of drugs found in his system was not fatal. Nina Antonia (born 1960 in Liverpool, England) is a Music journalist and Author. Jungle Records is a British -based Record label formed in 1982, specializing in classic Punk rock & Post punk releases [1] And according to the book "Rock Bottom: Dark Moments in Music Babylon" by Pamela Des Barres who interviewed Thunders' sister Marion, the autopsy confirmed evidence of advanced leukemia, which would explain the decline in Thunders' appearance in the final year of his life. Pamela Des Barres aka Miss Pamela (born Pamela Ann Miller on September 9, 1948) is a former Rock and roll Groupie [2] This also sheds light on the interview in Lech Kowalski's documentary "Born To Lose: The Last Rock and Roll Movie", where Thunders' sister Mary-Ann's husband says, "Only Johnny knew how sick he really was. Lech Kowalski is an American film director of Polish origins His "underground" films include Story of a Junkie (1987 and Born to Lose The Last Rock and Roll "

In a 1994 Melody Maker interview Thunders' manager Mick Webster described the efforts of his family, "We keep asking the New Orleans police to re-investigate, but they haven’t been particularly friendly. Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly Music Newspaper They seemed to think that this was just another junkie who had wandered into town and died. They simply weren’t interested. " Marion claims that the original police report is largely missing and Webster further explains that the Coroner who conducted the autopsy was fired for falsifying a report in another case.

Thunders was survived by his ex-wife Julie and four children, sons John Genzale, Vito Genzale, Dino Genzale, and daughter Jamie Genzale. [3] His oldest son Vito is serving a prison sentence in the Great Meadows Correctional Facility in New York for drug dealing, having completed a previous sentence in Attica. Attica (Αττική Attikí;) is a periphery (subdivision in Greece, containing Athens, the capital of Greece [4].

Discography

See also: New York Dolls Discography and The Heartbreakers Discography

Studio Albums

Official Live Albums & Compilations

Official Singles & EPs

Unofficial / Bootleg Albums

Unofficial / Bootleg Singles & EPs

Trivia

Musical tributes

Thunders has had numerous bands paying tribute or mentioning him in their songs, while he was alive and after his death.

References

  1. ^ Lobotomy: Surviving The Ramones, pages 232-3)
  2. ^ From Please Kill Me by Legs, a documentary by McNeil and Gillian McCain. Quoted at Fuller Up Dead Musician Directory: Heroin.

External links

Persondata
NAME Thunders, Johnny
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Genzale, John Anthony, Jr
SHORT DESCRIPTION Musician, Songwriter
DATE OF BIRTH 1952-07-15
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City, NY, USA
DATE OF DEATH 1991-04-23
PLACE OF DEATH New Orleans, LA, USA
A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final The City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
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