Editing Johnny Thunders

{{short description|American guitarist and singer (1952–1991)}}
{{distinguish|Johnny Thunder (singer)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox musical artist  <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name              = Johnny Thunders
| image             = NLN Johnny Thunders.jpg
| caption           = Thunders performing at the [[VFW Post]] in Ann Arbor, Michigan in July 1979. He was then collaborating with [[Wayne Kramer]] of [[MC5]], as Gang War.
| birth_name        = John Anthony Genzale
| birth_date        = {{Birth date|1952|7|15}}
| birth_place       = [[Queens, New York]], U.S.
| death_date        = {{Death date and age|1991|4|23|1952|7|15}}
| death_place       = [[New Orleans, Louisiana]], U.S.
| instrument        = {{hlist|Guitar|vocals|bass}}
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Rock music|Rock]]|[[punk rock]]|[[glam rock]]|[[glam punk]]|[[proto-punk]]}}
| occupation        = {{hlist|Musician|singer|songwriter}}
| years_active      = 1967–1991
| label             = 
| associated_acts   = {{hlist|[[New York Dolls]]|[[The Heartbreakers]]}}
}}

'''John Anthony Genzale''' (July 15, 1952 – April 23, 1991), known professionally as '''Johnny Thunders''', was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He came to prominence in the early 1970s as a member of [[New York Dolls]]. He later formed [[the Heartbreakers]] and played as a solo artist.

==Early life and career==
[[File:New York Dolls - TopPop 1973 02.png|thumb|left|Johnny Thunders (front center) with the rest of the [[New York Dolls]] on the [[TopPop]] television program, Netherlands, 1973.]]
Thunders was born John Anthony Genzale in [[Queens]], New York, the second child of Josephine Genzale (née Nicoletti, 1923–1999) and Emil Genzale (1923–1982), both of Italian descent (Neapolitan/Sicilian). Thunders had an older sister, Mariann (1946–2009).<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor-first=Colin|editor-last=Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|location=New York City|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=1180}}</ref> He first lived in [[East Elmhurst, Queens|East Elmhurst]] and then [[Jackson Heights, Queens|Jackson Heights]].<ref name=":0">{{citation|url=http://www.cherryred.co.uk/books/book_johnnythunders.php |title=Johnny Thunders – In Cold Blood |first=Nina|last=Antonia |publisher=Cherry Red Records |access-date=August 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125064817/http://www.cherryred.co.uk/books/book_johnnythunders.php |archive-date=January 25, 2010 |author-link=Nina Antonia}}</ref>

His first musical performance was in the winter of 1967 with The Reign. Shortly thereafter, he played with Johnny and the Jaywalkers, under the name Johnny Volume, at Quintano's School for Young Professionals,<ref name=":0" /> around the corner from [[Carnegie Hall]], on 56th Street near 7th Avenue.

In 1968, he began going to the [[Fillmore East]] and [[Bethesda Terrace and Fountain|Bethesda Fountain in Central Park]] on weekends. His older sister, Mariann, started styling his hair like Keith Richards. In late 1969, he got a job as a sales clerk at D'Naz leather shop, on [[Bleecker Street]] in the [[West Village]], and started trying to put a band together. He and his girlfriend, Janis Cafasso, went to see [[The Rolling Stones]] at [[Madison Square Garden]] in November 1969, and they appear in the [[Maysles brothers]]' film ''[[Gimme Shelter (1970 film)|Gimme Shelter]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rockandrollparadise.com/johnny-thunders-41991/|title=Punker Johnny Thunder Dies from Overdose after Leukemia Diagnosis|date=May 13, 2016|website=Rockandrollparadise.com|access-date=January 13, 2021}}</ref>

Dolls bass guitarist [[Arthur "Killer" Kane]] later wrote about Thunders's guitar sound, as he described arriving outside the rehearsal studio where they were meeting to jam together for the first time: "I heard someone playing a guitar [[riff]] that I myself didn't know how to play. It was raunchy, nasty, rough, raw, and untamed. I thought it was truly inspired&nbsp;...", adding, "His sound was rich and fat and beautiful, like a voice."<ref name="KaneKane2009">{{cite book|first1=Arthur |last1=Kane|authorlink1=Arthur "Killer" Kane|first2=Barbara|last2=Kane|title=I, Doll: Life and Death With the New York Dolls|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m8WqcRw9zzwC&pg=PA5|access-date=May 14, 2012|date=August 1, 2009|publisher=[[Chicago Review Press]]|location=Chicago, Illinois|isbn=978-1-55652-941-2|pages=5–6}}</ref>

The New York Dolls were signed to [[Mercury Records]], with the help of [[A & R]] man [[Paul Nelson (critic)|Paul Nelson]]. Thunders recorded two albums with the band, ''[[New York Dolls (album)|New York Dolls]]'' and'' [[Too Much Too Soon (album)|Too Much Too Soon]]''.<ref name="Larkin"/> They were managed by [[Marty Thau]], and booked by Leber & Krebs. Subsequently, they worked with [[Malcolm McLaren]] for several months, later becoming a prototype for the [[Sex Pistols]].

In 1975, Thunders and drummer [[Jerry Nolan]] left the band;<ref name="Larkin"/> Thunders later blamed McLaren for the band's demise.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rte.ie/archives/2020/0326/1126518-johnny-thunders/|title=New York Doll 1990|date=26 April 1990 |website=RTÉ Archives |access-date=9 September 2020}}</ref> The Dolls' lead singer [[David Johansen]] and guitarist [[Sylvain Sylvain]] continued playing, along with Peter Jordan, Tony Machine (an ex-assistant agent at Leber & Krebs) and [[Chris Robison]], as the New York Dolls until late 1976.

==The Heartbreakers==
Thunders formed [[The Heartbreakers]] with former New York Dolls drummer [[Jerry Nolan]] and former [[Television (band)|Television]] bassist [[Richard Hell]].<ref name="Larkin"/> [[Walter Lure]], former guitarist for the New York City punk band The Demons<ref>{{cite web|author=Rutledge |url=http://dirtysheetszine.blogspot.com/2011/04/demons-self-titled-mercury-records-1977.html |title=Dirty Sheets: The Demons – self titled (Mercury Records, 1977) |publisher=Dirtysheetszine.blogspot.com |date=April 26, 2011 |access-date=24 September 2012}}</ref> joined them soon after. After conflict arose between Thunders and Hell, Hell left to form [[Richard Hell and the Voidoids]] and was replaced by Billy Rath.<ref name="Larkin"/> With Thunders leading the band, the Heartbreakers toured America before going to the UK to join the [[Sex Pistols]], [[The Clash]] and [[The Damned (band)|The Damned]] on the Anarchy Tour. The group stayed in the UK throughout 1977, where their popularity was significantly greater than in the U.S., particularly among punk bands.<ref name="Larkin"/> 

While in the UK, they were signed to Track Records and released their only official studio album, ''[[L.A.M.F.]]'', an abbreviation for "Like A Mother Fucker".<ref name=":0" /> ''L.A.M.F.'' was received positively by critics, but was criticised for its poor production. Displeased with the production, the band members individually remixed the record, a competition which culminated in drummer Jerry Nolan quitting in November 1977. Shortly thereafter, the Heartbreakers disbanded.

==Solo career, Gang War and Heartbreakers reunions==
Thunders stayed in London and recorded the first of a number of solo albums, beginning with ''[[So Alone (album)|So Alone]]'' in 1978.<ref name="Larkin"/> The drug-fuelled recording sessions featured a core band of Thunders, bassist [[Phil Lynott]], drummer [[Paul Cook]] and guitarist [[Steve Jones (musician)|Steve Jones]], with guest appearances from [[Chrissie Hynde]], [[Steve Marriott]], [[Walter Lure]], [[Billy Rath]] and [[Peter Perrett]].<ref name="Larkin"/> The CD version of the album contains four bonus tracks, including the single "Dead or Alive" and a cover of the early [[Marc Bolan]] song "The Wizard". 

Soon afterwards, Thunders moved back to the US, joining former Heartbreakers Walter Lure, Billy Rath and sometimes Jerry Nolan for gigs at [[Max's Kansas City]] venue in New York City. Around this time Thunders played a small number of gigs at London's [[The Speakeasy Club]] with a line up including Cook and Jones, Henri Paul on bass and [[Judy Nylon]] and [[Patti Palladin]] ([[Snatch (band)|Snatch]]) as back up vocalists.

[[File:Johnny Thunders.jpg|thumb|222px|In Ann Arbor, Michigan, c. 1980]]
In late 1979, Thunders moved to Detroit with his wife Julie and began performing in a band called Gang War.<ref name="Larkin"/> Other members included John Morgan, Ron Cooke, Philippe Marcade and former [[MC5]] guitarist [[Wayne Kramer]].<ref name="Larkin"/> They recorded several demos and performed live several times before disbanding. [[Zodiac Records]] released an [[Extended play|EP]] of their demos in 1987. In 1990 they also released a live album titled ''Gang War'', which was credited to Thunders and Kramer.

During the early 1980s, Thunders re-formed The Heartbreakers for various tours; the group recorded their final album, ''Live at the Lyceum'', in 1984.<ref name="Larkin"/> The concert was also filmed and released as a video and later a DVD titled ''Dead Or Alive''.

In the 1980s, Thunders lived in [[Paris]] and [[Stockholm]] with his wife and daughter.<ref>{{Cite web |title=This is the story of Johnny Thunders and his years in Sweden |url=http://johnnythunders.rocks/story-johnny-thunders-years-sweden/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230155840/http://johnnythunders.rocks/story-johnny-thunders-years-sweden/ |archive-date=December 30, 2016 |access-date=December 29, 2016}}</ref> In 1985, he released ''[[Que Sera Sera (album)|Que Sera Sera]]'', a collection of new songs with his then band The Black Cats, and "[[Crawfish (song)|Crawfish]]", a duet with former Snatch vocalist [[Patti Palladin]]. Three years later, he again teamed up with Palladin to release ''[[Copy Cats (album)|Copy Cats]]'', a covers album. The album, produced by Palladin, featured a wide assortment of musicians to recreate the 1950s and 1960s sound of the originals, including [[Alexander Balanescu]] on violin, [[Bob Andrews (keyboardist)|Bob Andrews]] on piano, [[The Only Ones]] [[John Perry (musician)|John Perry]] and others on guitar, and a horn section.<ref name="Larkin" />

==Final years==
From August 1988 until his death in April 1991, Thunders performed in The Oddballs, with Jamie Heath (saxophone), Alison Gordy (vocals), Chris Musto (drums), Stevie Klasson (guitar) and [[Jill Wisoff]] (bass). From April–May 1990, Thunders performed an acoustic tour of the UK and Ireland joining up occasionally with John, Sam and Peter of [[The Golden Horde (band)|The Golden Horde]], whom he had met and played with previously in 1984 at the TV Club, and were concurrently on tour (of the UK and Ireland) at that time also, for full-band electric performances and TV appearances. On May 8, 1990, recording sessions in London for a joint EP-single cover version with The Golden Horde of "Sugar, Sugar" by [[The Archies]], and original material, had to be cancelled when Thunders experienced health problems{{citation needed|date=July 2020}} following his performances in Wakefield, UK while on tour.

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

==Death==
Rumors surround Thunders's death at the Inn on St. Peter hotel (formerly known as St. Peter Guest House) in [[New Orleans]], Louisiana, on April 23, 1991.<ref name="Larkin"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/25/obituaries/johnny-thunders-38-hard-rock-guitarist.html|title=Johnny Thunders, 38, Hard Rock Guitarist|newspaper=New York Times|date=April 25, 1991}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-28-mn-1416-story.html|title=Johnny Thunders; Leader of 'Glitter Rock|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=April 28, 1991}}</ref>

Thunders apparently died of drug-related causes, but it has been speculated that it was the result of [[wikt:foul play|foul play]].  According to his autobiography ''Lobotomy: Surviving The Ramones'', [[Dee Dee Ramone]] took a call in New York City the next day from Stevie Klasson, Thunders' rhythm guitar player. Dee Dee said, "They told me that Johnny had gotten mixed up with some bastards&nbsp;... 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."<ref>{{cite book|first=Dee Dee|last=Ramone|author-link=Dee Dee Ramone|date=2000|title=Lobotomy: Surviving The Ramones|pages=232–33|publisher=Thunder's Mouth Press|location=New York City|ISBN=1-56025-252-9}}</ref>

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

{{blockquote|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. ''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 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.<ref>[http://elvispelvis.com/heroin.html]{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>}}

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

An article in the ''[[Orlando Sentinel]]'' states: "[He] died of an overdose of [[cocaine]] and [[methadone]], according to the coroner's office in New Orleans. Chief investigator John Gagliano said tests completed last week found substantial amounts of both drugs."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1991-06-11-9106110457-story.html|title=AUTOPSY SHOWS THUNDERS DIED OF DOUBLE OVERDOSE|newspaper=[[The Orlando Sentinel]]|date=June 11, 1991|access-date=January 13, 2021}}</ref>

However, other sources state that an autopsy was conducted by the New Orleans coroner, but served only to compound the mystery.<ref name="Larkin"/> According to Thunders's biographer [[Nina Antonia]] as posted on the [[Jungle Records]] website, the level of drugs found in his system was not fatal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jungle-records.demon.co.uk/bands/johnnyt_intro.htm|title=Jungle Records – Nina Antonia's introduction to her update of the official biography of Johnny Thunders, ''Johnny Thunders – In Cold Blood''|publisher=Jungle-records.demon.co.uk|access-date=1 May 2010|archive-date=February 27, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070227221819/http://www.jungle-records.demon.co.uk/bands/johnnyt_intro.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to the book ''Rock Bottom: Dark Moments in Music Babylon'' by [[Pamela Des Barres]], who interviewed Thunders's sister, Mariann Bracken, the autopsy confirmed evidence of advanced [[leukemia]], which would explain the decline in Thunders's appearance in the final year of his life.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thunders.ca/print/rb.htm|title=Rock Bottom by Pamela Des Barres|publisher=Thunders.ca|date=September 6, 1999|access-date=1 May 2010}}</ref>

In a 1994 ''[[Melody Maker]]'' interview, Thunders's manager Mick Webster described the family's efforts to get New Orleans police to investigate the matter further: "We keep asking the New Orleans police to re-investigate, but they haven't been particularly friendly. They seemed to think that this was just another [[Substance dependence|junkie]] who had wandered into town and died. They simply weren't interested."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pushstuff.co.uk/mminfofreakos/johnnythunders261194.html|title=Storm Clouds|work=[[Melody Maker]]|date=November 26, 1994|access-date=27 October 2011}}</ref>

Thunders was survived by his wife Julie Jourden and four children.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE7DF133CF936A15757C0A967958260|title=Johnny Thunders, 40, Hard Rock Guitarist|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 25, 1991|access-date=1 May 2010}}</ref>

==Discography==
{{See also|New_York_Dolls#Discography|l1=New York Dolls Discography|The_Heartbreakers#Discography|l2=The Heartbreakers Discography}}

Johnny Thunders released five studio albums as a solo artist and several live records and compilations.<ref name="Larkin"/><ref>{{cite book |last=Simmons |first=Doug |editor1-last=Weisbard |editor1-first=Eric |editor1-link=Eric Weisbard |editor2-last=Marks |editor2-first=Craig |chapter=New York Dolls |title=Spin Alternative Record Guide |title-link=Spin Alternative Record Guide |publisher=[[Vintage Books]] |year=1995 |isbn=0-679-75574-8 |pages=269–70}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/263826-Johnny-Thunders |title=Johnny Thunders |website=[[Discogs]] |access-date=August 23, 2024}}</ref>

===Studio albums===
* ''[[So Alone (album)|So Alone]]'' (1978)
* ''[[In Cold Blood (Johnny Thunders album)|In Cold Blood]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Hurt Me (Johnny Thunders album)|Hurt Me]]'' (1984)
* ''[[Que Sera Sera (Johnny Thunders album)|Que Sera Sera]]'' (1985)
* ''[[Copy Cats (Johnny Thunders and Patti Palladin album)|Copy Cats]]'' (1988)

===Official live albums and compilations===
* ''Diary of a Lover'' (1983)
* ''[[Too Much Junkie Business (compilation album)|The New Too Much Junkie Business]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Stations of the Cross (album)|Stations of the Cross]]'' (1987)
* ''Bootlegging the Bootleggers'' (1990)
* ''Live in Japan'' (1991)
* ''Have Faith'' (1992)
* ''Saddest Vacation Act. 1'' (1993)
* ''Saddest Vacation Act. 2'' (1993)
* ''Chinese Rocks: The Ultimate 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 From Zürich 1985'' (2020)
* ''Live In Osaka ‘91 And Detroit ‘80'' (2021)

===Official singles and EPs===
* "[[You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory]]" (1978)
* "Dead or Alive" (1978)
* "In Cold Blood" (1983)
* "Hurt Me" (1984)
* "[[Crawfish (song)|Crawfish]]" ([[duet]] with [[Patti Palladin]]; 1985)
* "Short Lives" (1986)
* "[[Que Sera Sera|Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)]]” (1987)
* "She Wants To Mambo" (duet with Patti Palladin; 1988)
* "Born To Cry" (1988)
* "[[She Cried|He Cried]]" (duet with Patti Palladin; 1988)
* "[[Baby It's You]]" (duet with Patti Palladin; 1988)
* "[[Great Big Kiss]]" (duet with [[The Roosters|Shinya Ohe]]; 1988)
* "[[Twist And Shout]]/[[Boys (The Shirelles song)|Boys]]" (featuring Jimi LaLumia & The Psychotic Frogs; 1991)

==Filmography==
* ''[[Story of a Junkie]]'' directed by [[Lech Kowalski]] 1987
* ''Mona et moi'' (1989), directed by Patrick Grandperret, [[Prix Jean Vigo]] 1990<ref>{{Citation|title=Mona and I (1989) - IMDb|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100174/reference|access-date=2021-07-13}}</ref>
* [[What About Me (film)|''What About Me'']], directed by Rachel Amodeo, 1993
* ''Born To Lose – The Last Rock'n'Roll Movie'' (1999), directed by Lech Kowalski
* ''Looking For Johnny: The Legend of Johnny Thunders'' (2014), directed by Danny Garcia
* ''Room 37'' (2019), directed by Vicente and Fernando Cordero<ref>{{Cite web|title=Room 37: The Mysterious Death of Johnny Thunders (2019)|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8912932/|access-date=2021-07-13|website=IMDb|language=en-US}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-thunders-mn0000252184/biography Biography] at [[AllMusic]]
* {{Discogs artist}}

{{Johnny Thunders}}
{{New York Dolls}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thunders, Johnny}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:1991 deaths]]
[[Category:American lead guitarists]]
[[Category:American punk rock guitarists]]
[[Category:American punk rock singers]]
[[Category:ROIR artists]]
[[Category:Songwriters from New York (state)]]
[[Category:American expatriates in Sweden]]
[[Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:American expatriates in France]]
[[Category:American people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:American protopunk musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:Glam rock musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]
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[[Category:American male guitarists]]
[[Category:The Heartbreakers (punk rock band) members]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:People from Jackson Heights, Queens]]
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[[Category:20th-century American songwriters]]
[[Category:New York Dolls members]]