Johnny Thunders Birthday Bash at the Bowery Electric 2025

Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale in Queens, New York, was already one of New York City’s scene makers when he reached his teen years. Attending concerts at Fillmore East and other music venues, he and his crew stood out in the crowds in their colorful mod outfits. In his layered hair and dressed in satin and velvet amidst the hordes of post-Woodstock long-haired blue-jeaned hippies, Thunders looked like a rock star long before he formed his first successful band, the New York Dolls, at age 19 in 1971.

The New York Dolls dominated the downtown Manhattan music circuit, drawing large crowds of colorfully dressed fans. The band’s two albums never achieved mainstream commercial success, however. Nevertheless, the New York Dolls was among the bands that changed the landscape of rock and roll clubs. As the band gained popularity, it launched an entirely new club scene, in which patrons, dressed in flashy clothing, came to be seen as much as to see the bands perform.

Thunders left the Dolls in 1975 and formed a series of bands, including the Heartbreakers, the short-lived Gang War (with Wayne Kramer of the MC5), and the Oddballs, also performing under his own name. Thunders kept a high profile and a strong underground following, but his career after the New York Dolls was met with less enthusiasm. As with the New York Dolls, Thunders’ later recordings never achieved commercial success, and his various bands never became international stars.

Despite much media attention, Thunders mustered only an international cult following. Nevertheless, the history of New York City rock music would be incomplete without mentioning his contributions. As a guitarist, Thunders became perhaps the most influential musician in the New York music scene in the 1970s. Thunders pioneered a raw rock and roll revival and helped give new life to rock and roll.

Throughout the 1980s, Thunders' storied abuse of heroin and methadone was well documented and was often evident to the audiences at his gigs. On April 23, 1991, Thunders was found dead of drug-related causes at the Inn on St. Peter in New Orleans, Louisiana. Mystery shrouded his death, and the investigation was inconclusive. More than 30 years after his death, Johnny Thunders remains a New York rock and roll legend.

Local rock impresario Steve Krebs is a Johnny Thunders superfan. In 2009, he financed a three-CD box set called Born to Lose: A Tribute to Johnny Thunders, which featured local New York bands performing Thunders' songs. That same year, Krebs began organizing an annual Johnny Thunders Birthday Bash around Thunders' July 15 birthday. Krebs, along with his partners Barry Apfel and Simone Zimmerman, annually bring together locally-known musicians and newer musicians to interpret songs that were featured on Thunders’ set lists. Ironically, some of the musicians were not yet born during Thunders’ lifespan.

This year, Lenny Kaye of the Patti Smith band headlined once again, accompanied by drummer Jay Dee Daugherty of the Patti Smith Group and bassist Michael Jung of Krebs & the Maynard G’s. The Knight Shades, Joy Buzzer, Voodini, Mighty Joe Castro & the Gravamen, Ruby Dee & the Snakehandlers, Diane & the Gentle Men, Flash Cooney & the Deans of Discipline and Jon Pozzuto also performed, with Krebs & the Maynard G’s closing the night. It was a fitting tribute to the all-time king of the New York rock club circuit.

Jon Pozzuto

Jon Pozzuto

1. I Love You (The Heartbreakers cover)
2. Dead or Alive (Johnny Thunders cover)
3. Blame It on Mom (Johnny Thunders cover)

Flash Cooney & the Deans of Discipline

Flash Cooney & the Deans of Discipline

1. Born to Cry (Johnny Thunders cover)
2. London Boys (Johnny Thunders cover)
3. Personality Crisis (New York Dolls cover)

Diane & the Gentle Men

Diane & the Gentle Men

1. Alone in a Crowd (Johnny Thunders cover)
2. Johnny's Gonna Die (The Replacements cover)
3. Get It On (T. Rex cover, with Danny Ray on saxophone)

Ruby Dee & the Snakehandlers

Ruby Dee & the Snakehandlers

1. It's Not Enough (The Heartbreakers cover)
2. Endless Party (Johnny Thunders cover)
3. Do You Love Me (The Contours cover)

Mighty Joe Castro & the Gravamen

Mighty Joe Castro & the Gravamen

1. Human Being (New York Dolls cover)
2. Let Go (The Heartbreakers cover)
3. Disappointed in You  (Johnny Thunders cover)

Voodini

Voodini

1. Baby Talk (The Heartbreakers cover)
2. I Wanna Be Loved (The Heartbreakers cover)
3. Pirate Love (The Heartbreakers cover)

Joy Buzzer

Joy Buzzer

1. Trash (New York Dolls cover)
2. Going Steady (The Heartbreakers cover)
3. Born to Lose (The Heartbreakers cover)

The Knight Shades

The Knight Shades

1. Subway Train (New York Dolls cover)
2. Chinese Rocks (The Heartbreakers cover)
3. Jet Boy (New York Dolls cover)

Lenny Kaye

Lenny Kaye

1. The Letter (The Box Tops cover) (>) Run Run Run (The Velvet Underground cover)
2. Bad Girl (New York Dolls cover)
3. You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory (Johnny Thunders cover, with Diane Gentile, Dina Regine and Steve Krebs on background vocals; dedicated to Walter Lure)

Krebs & the Maynard G's

Krebs & the Maynard G's

1. One Track Mind (The Heartbreakers cover, dedicated to Walter Lure)
2. M.I.A. (Johnny Thunders cover)
3. Chatterbox (New York Dolls cover)
4. Who Are the Mystery Girls? (New York Dolls cover, dedicated to David Johansen)
5. Too Much Junkie Business (Johnny Thunders cover) (>) Pills (Bo Diddley cover) (>) Too Much Junkie Business (Johnny Thunders cover, reprise)

 

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The Manhattan Beat reports on New York City's live music circuit. All articles are written by Everynight Charley Crespo. All photographs are taken by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise.

For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right of the The Manhattan Beat home page and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music."

For a more complete listing of upcoming performances in the New York City area, visit The Manhattan Beat's July calendar.