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
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). He first lived in East Elmhurst and then Jackson Heights.
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,
New York 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", adding, "His sound was rich and fat and beautiful, like a voice."
The New York Dolls formed in 1971 with Thunders, Kane, Billy Murcia, Rick Rivets and David Johansen. Rivets was soon replaced by Sylvain Sylvain, and Jerry Nolan joined the band after Murcia died in November 1972. They were signed to Mercury Records with the help of A & R man Paul Nelson. Thunders recorded two albums with the band, New York Dolls (1973) and Too Much Too Soon (1974). Subsequently, they worked with Malcolm McLaren for several months, later becoming a prototype for the Sex Pistols. Thunders later blamed McLaren for the band's demise. 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 bassist Richard Hell. Walter Lure, former guitarist for the New York City punk band the Demons, joined them soon after. With Thunders leading the band, the Heartbreakers toured America before going to the UK to join the Sex Pistols, the Clash and 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.
In the 1980s, Thunders lived in Paris and Stockholm with his wife and daughter. In 1985, he released Que Sera Sera, a collection of new songs with his then band the Black Cats, and "Crawfish", a duet with former Snatch vocalist Patti Palladin. Three years later, he again teamed up with Palladin to release Copy Cats, a covers album.
Thunders apparently died of drug-related causes, but it has been speculated that it was the result of 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 ... 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."
Singer Willy DeVille, who lived next door to the hotel in which Thunders died, described his death this way:
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."
However, other sources state that an autopsy was conducted by the New Orleans coroner, but served only to compound the mystery. 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.
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 junkie who had wandered into town and died. They simply weren't interested."
Personal life
Thunders married Julie Jourden in 1977, and they had three sons, including one from her previous marriage. He also had a daughter by Susanne Blomqvist.
Studio albums
- So Alone (1978)
- In Cold Blood (1983)
- Hurt Me (1984)
- Que Sera Sera (1985)
- Copy Cats (1988)
Official live albums and compilations
- Diary of a Lover (1983)
- The New Too Much Junkie Business (1983)
- 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" (duet with Patti Palladin; 1985)
- "Short Lives" (1986)
- "Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)” (1987)
- "She Wants To Mambo" (duet with Patti Palladin; 1988)
- "Born To Cry" (1988)
- "He Cried" (duet with Patti Palladin; 1988)
- "Baby It's You" (duet with Patti Palladin; 1988)
- "Great Big Kiss" (duet with Shinya Ohe; 1988)
- "Twist And Shout"/"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
- 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