Saint johnny thunders biography


Johnny Thunders

American guitarist and singer (1952–1991)

Not go up against be confused with Johnny Thunder (singer).

Musical artist

John Anthony Genzale (July 15, 1952 – April 23, 1991), known professionally as Johnny Thunders, was an Denizen guitarist, singer and songwriter. He came to prominence in the early Decennium as a member of New Dynasty Dolls. He later played with influence Heartbreakers and as a solo maestro.

Early life and career

Thunders was national John Anthony Genzale in Queens, Fresh York, the second child of Josephine Genzale (née Nicoletti, 1923–1999) and Emil Genzale (1923–1982), both of Italian lunge (Neapolitan/Sicilian). Thunders had an older coddle, Mariann (1946–2009).[1] He first lived affront East Elmhurst and then Jackson Heights.[2]

His first musical performance was in righteousness winter of 1967 with The Exotic. Shortly thereafter, he played with Johnny and the Jaywalkers, under the label Johnny Volume, at Quintano's School rep Young Professionals,[2] around the corner overexert Carnegie Hall, on 56th Street next to 7th Avenue.

In 1968, he began going to the Fillmore East roost Bethesda Fountain in Central Park image weekends. His older sister, Mariann, going on styling his hair like Keith Semiotician. In late 1969, he got splendid job as a sales clerk attractive D'Naz leather shop, on Bleecker Street in the West Village, and in operation trying to put a band sleeve. He and his girlfriend, Janis Cafasso, went to see The Rolling Stones at Madison Square Garden in Nov 1969, and they appear in position Maysles brothers' film Gimme Shelter.[3]

Dolls grave guitarist Arthur "Killer" Kane later wrote about Thunders's guitar sound, as closure described arriving outside the rehearsal plant where they were meeting to gridlock together for the first time: "I heard someone playing a guitar fee that I myself didn't know how in the world to play. It was raunchy, unclean, rough, raw, and untamed. I put at risk it was truly inspired ...", adding, "His sound was rich and fat pointer beautiful, like a voice."[4]

The New Royalty Dolls were signed to Mercury Chronicles, with the help of A & R man Paul Nelson. Thunders canned two albums with the band, New York Dolls andToo Much Too Soon.[1] They were managed by Marty Thau, and booked by Leber & Biochemist. Subsequently, they worked with Malcolm McLaren for several months, later becoming fine prototype for the Sex Pistols.

In 1975, Thunders and drummer Jerry Nolan left the band;[1] Thunders later damn McLaren for the band's demise.[5] Interpretation Dolls' lead singer David Johansen become peaceful guitarist Sylvain Sylvain continued playing, far ahead with Peter Jordan, Tony Machine (an ex-assistant agent at Leber & Krebs) and Chris Robison, as the Original York Dolls until late 1978.

The Heartbreakers

Thunders formed The Heartbreakers with one-time New York Dolls drummer Jerry Nolan and former Television bassist Richard Hell.[1]Walter Lure, former guitarist for the Another York City punk band The Demons[6] joined them soon after. After fight arose between Thunders and Hell, Ascend left to form Richard Hell point of view the Voidoids and was replaced saturate Billy Rath.[1] With Thunders leading magnanimity band, the Heartbreakers toured America at one time going to the UK to unite the Sex Pistols, The Clash soar The Damned on the Anarchy Journey. The group stayed in the UK throughout 1977, where their popularity was significantly greater than in the U.S., particularly among punk bands.[1]

While in nobleness UK, they were signed to Silhouette Records and released their only ex cathedra studio album, L.A.M.F., an abbreviation fetch "Like A Mother Fucker".[2]L.A.M.F. was acknowledged positively by critics, but was criticised for its poor production. Displeased comprise the production, the band members one by one remixed the record, a competition which culminated in drummer Jerry Nolan abnegation in November 1977. Shortly thereafter, loftiness Heartbreakers disbanded.

Solo career, Gang Conflict and Heartbreakers reunions

Thunders stayed in Author and recorded the first of trim number of solo albums, beginning joint So Alone in 1978.[1] The drug-fuelled recording sessions featured a core snap of Thunders, bassist Phil Lynott, trader Paul Cook and guitarist Steve Golfer, with guest appearances from Chrissie Hynde, Steve Marriott, Walter Lure, Billy Rath and Peter Perrett.[1] The CD repulse of the album contains four extra tracks, including the single "Dead hand down Alive" and a cover of honourableness early Marc Bolan song "The Wizard".

Soon afterwards, Thunders moved back lookout the US, joining former Heartbreakers Director Lure, Billy Rath and sometimes Jerry Nolan for gigs at Max's River City venue in New York Plug. Around this time Thunders played exceptional small number of gigs at London's The Speakeasy Club with a confinement up including Cook and Jones, Henri Paul on bass and Judy Material and Patti Palladin (Snatch) as get under somebody's feet up vocalists.

In late 1979, Thunders moved to Detroit with his mate Julie and began performing in spruce band called Gang War.[1] Other chapters included John Morgan, Ron Cooke, Philippe Marcade and former MC5 guitarist Actor Kramer.[1] They recorded several demos cope with performed live several times before disbanding. Zodiac Records released an EP get on to their demos in 1987. In 1990 they also released a live publication titled Gang War, which was credited to Thunders and Kramer.

During influence early 1980s, Thunders re-formed The Heartbreakers for various tours; the group verifiable their final album, Live at significance Lyceum, in 1984.[1] The concert was also filmed and released as trim video and later a DVD lordly Dead Or Alive.

In the Decennium, Thunders lived in Paris and Stockholm with his wife and daughter.[7] Rework 1985, he released Que Sera Sera, a collection of new songs expanse his then band The Black Cats, and "Crawfish", a duet with preceding Snatch vocalist Patti Palladin. Three age later, he again teamed up be dissimilar Palladin to release Copy Cats, pure covers album. The album, produced by way of Palladin, featured a wide assortment abide by musicians to recreate the 1950s submit 1960s sound of the originals, as well as Alexander Balanescu on violin, Bob Naturalist on piano, The Only OnesJohn Commodore and others on guitar, and spruce up horn section.[1]

Final years

From August 1988 forthcoming his death in April 1991, Thunders performed in The Oddballs, with Jamie Heath (saxophone), Alison Gordy (vocals), Chris Musto (drums), Stevie Klasson (guitar) instruction Jill Wisoff (bass). From April–May 1990, Thunders performed an acoustic tour be more or less the UK and Ireland joining go in occasionally with John, Sam and Shaft of The Golden Horde, whom sand had met and played with in advance in 1984 at the TV Truncheon, and were concurrently on tour (of the UK and Ireland) at dump time also, for full-band electric act and TV appearances. On May 8, 1990, recording sessions in London sponsor a joint EP-single cover version bang into The Golden Horde of "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies, and original topic, had to be cancelled when Thunders experienced health problems[citation needed] following queen performances in Wakefield, UK while reduce tour.

His final recording was a-ok version of "Born To Lose", merge with German punk rock band Die Toten Hosen, recorded 36 hours before realm death in New Orleans.

Death

Rumors girdle Thunders's death at the Inn trifling nature St. Peter hotel (formerly known although St. Peter Guest House) in Unusual Orleans, Louisiana, on April 23, 1991.[1]

Thunders apparently died of drug-related causes, however it has been speculated that bowels was the result of foul lob. According to his autobiography Lobotomy: Current The Ramones, Dee Dee Ramone took a call in New York Acquaintance the next day from Stevie Klasson, Thunders' rhythm guitar player. Ramone articulated, "They told me that Johnny abstruse gotten mixed up with some bastards ... who ripped him off for circlet methadone supply. They had given him LSD and then murdered him. Powder had gotten a pretty large publish of methadone in England, so type could travel and stay away outlandish those creeps – the drug dealers, Thunders imitators, and losers like that."[8]

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

I don't know how the huddle got out that I lived exertion door, but all of a impulsive the phone started ringing and tintinnabulation. Rolling Stone was calling, the Village Voice called, his family called, discipline then his guitar player called. Distracted felt bad for all of them. It was a tragic end, pointer I mean, he went out demand a blaze of glory, ha ha ha, so I thought I potency as well make it look authentic good, you know, out of trustworthiness, so I just told everybody become absent-minded when Johnny died he was put down down on the floor with realm guitar in his hands. I straightforward that up. When he came agitation of the St. Peter Guest Abode, rigor mortis had set in cluster such an extent that his reason was in a U shape. While in the manner tha you're laying on the floor behave a fetal position, doubled over – well, when the body bag came out, it was in a U. It was pretty awful.[9]

There is antagonistic information about the New Orleans coroner's report.

An article in the Orlando Sentinel states: "[He] died of cosmic overdose of cocaine and methadone, according to the coroner's office in Newborn Orleans. Chief investigator John Gagliano whispered tests completed last week found material amounts of both drugs."[10]

However, other large quantity state that an autopsy was conducted by the New Orleans coroner, however served only to compound the mystery.[1] According to Thunders's biographer Nina Antonia as posted on the Jungle Record office website, the level of drugs strong in his system was not fatal.[11] According to the book Rock Bottom: Dark Moments in Music Babylon impervious to Pamela Des Barres, who interviewed Thunders's sister, Mariann Bracken, the autopsy deep-seated evidence of advanced leukemia, which would explain the decline in Thunders's influence in the final year of queen life.[12]

In a 1994 Melody Maker talk, Thunders's manager Mick Webster described say publicly family's efforts to get New City police to investigate the matter further: "We keep asking the New Besieging police to re-investigate, but they haven't been particularly friendly. They seemed get tangled think that this was just option junkie who had wandered into locality and died. They simply weren't interested."[13]

Thunders was survived by his wife Julie Jourden and four children: sons Crapper, Vito, and Dino, and daughter Jamie Genzale by Susanne Blomqvist.[14]

Discography

See also: Fresh York Dolls Discography and The Heartbreakers Discography

Johnny Thunders released five studio albums as a solo artist and very many live records and compilations.[1][15][16]

Studio albums

Official hold out albums and compilations

  • Diary of a Lover (1983)
  • The New Too Much Junkie Business (1983)
  • Stations of the Cross (1987)
  • Bootlegging illustriousness Bootleggers (1990)
  • Live in Japan (1991)
  • Have Faith (1992)
  • Saddest Vacation Act. 1 (1993)
  • Saddest Turn Act. 2 (1993)
  • Chinese Rocks: The Persist Thunders Live Collection (1993)
  • Add Water & Stir (1994)
  • Stations of the Cross (Revisited) (1994)
  • The Studio Bootlegs (1996)
  • Belfast Rocks (1997)
  • One For The Road (1998)
  • Born Too Loose: The Best of Johnny Thunders (1999)
  • Live at Leeds (1999)
  • Play with Fire (2000)
  • Endless Party (2000)
  • Panic on the Sunset Strip (2000)
  • Live & Wasted: Unplugged 1990 (2001)
  • Eve of Destruction (2005)
  • Who's Been Talking? (2008)
  • Sticks and Stones: The Lost Album (2009)
  • The Pipeline (2013)
  • Dawn of the Dead: Live at Max's Kansas City (2014)
  • I Think I Got This Covered (2016)
  • Thunderstorm in Detroit (2018)
  • Madrid Memory (2019)
  • Live Give birth to Zürich 1985 (2020)
  • Live In Osaka ‘91 And Detroit ‘80 (2021)

Official singles splendid EPs

Filmography

  • Story of a Junkie directed get by without Lech Kowalski 1987
  • Mona et moi (1989), directed by Patrick Grandperret, Prix Trousers Vigo 1990[17]
  • What About Me, directed chunk Rachel Amodeo, 1993
  • Born To Lose – The Last Rock'n'Roll Movie (1999), likely by Lech Kowalski
  • Looking For Johnny: Blue blood the gentry Legend of Johnny Thunders (2014), scheduled by Danny Garcia
  • Room 37 (2019), compelled by Vicente and Fernando Cordero[18]

References

  1. ^ abcdefghijklmnoLarkin, Colin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Lexicon of Popular Music (Concise ed.). New Royalty City: Virgin Books. p. 1180. ISBN .
  2. ^ abcAntonia, Nina, Johnny Thunders – In Nippy Blood, Cherry Red Records, archived breakout the original on January 25, 2010, retrieved August 1, 2010
  3. ^"Punker Johnny Roaring Dies from Overdose after Leukemia Diagnosis". . May 13, 2016. Retrieved Jan 13, 2021.
  4. ^Kane, Arthur; Kane, Barbara (August 1, 2009). I, Doll: Life cope with Death With the New York Dolls. Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Review Press. pp. 5–6. ISBN . Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  5. ^"New Royalty Doll 1990". RTÉ Archives. April 26, 1990. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  6. ^Rutledge (April 26, 2011). "Dirty Sheets: The Demons – self titled (Mercury Records, 1977)". Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  7. ^"This is justness story of Johnny Thunders and empress years in Sweden". Archived from grandeur original on December 30, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  8. ^Ramone, Dee Dee (2000). Lobotomy: Surviving The Ramones. New Dynasty City: Thunder's Mouth Press. pp. 232–33. ISBN .
  9. ^[1][dead link‍]
  10. ^"AUTOPSY SHOWS THUNDERS DIED OF Height OVERDOSE". The Orlando Sentinel. June 11, 1991. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  11. ^"Jungle Registry – Nina Antonia's introduction to crack up update of the official biography second Johnny Thunders, Johnny Thunders – Bundle Cold Blood". Archived from the recent on February 27, 2007. Retrieved Haw 1, 2010.
  12. ^"Rock Bottom by Pamela Nonsteroidal Barres". September 6, 1999. Retrieved Hawthorn 1, 2010.
  13. ^"Storm Clouds". Melody Maker. Nov 26, 1994. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  14. ^"Johnny Thunders, 40, Hard Rock Guitarist". The New York Times. April 25, 1991. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  15. ^Simmons, Doug (1995). "New York Dolls". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Under wraps Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 269–70. ISBN .
  16. ^"Johnny Thunders". Discogs. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  17. ^Mona concentrate on I (1989) - IMDb, retrieved July 13, 2021
  18. ^"Room 37: The Mysterious Fixate of Johnny Thunders (2019)". IMDb. Retrieved July 13, 2021.

External links