This is Fresh Air. I'm Dave Davies and for Terry Gross.

David Johansson is a founding member of the New York Dolls, a legendary 1970s band that never sold many records, but paved the way for punk rock.

He's also performed in his persona Buster Point Dexter, a pop-a-door wearing lounge lizard, and he's played the blues with his band David Johansson and the Harry Smiths.

Johansson is the subject of a new Showtime documentary co-directed by Martin Scorsese and David Tedesky, called Personality Crisis One Night Only.

Much of the documentary is built around Johansson's 2020 performance at the Cafe Carlyle in New York City as Buster Point Dexter.

It also includes new and archival interviews with him and others.

Here's a clip from the documentary with the English singer and songwriter Morissie.

He says he was obsessed with the New York Dolls as a teenager because they brought a sense of danger to rock.

Their music was loud and rough, but more than that.

So here were boys who were calling themselves dolls and they looked like prostitutes, male prostitutes, which at the time you have to remember it was a long time ago.

And all of that kind of thing was really tabooly.

English singer Morissie from the new Showtime documentary about the New York Dolls.

Terry Gross spoke to David Johansson in 2004.

The surviving members of the band had just reunited at their request of Morissie for a festival in England.

Their performance was recorded on a CD and DVD called The Return of the New York Dolls Live From Royal Festival Hall.

The interview starts with a track from the album called Looking for a Kiss.

The Dolls used to play this one in the 70s.

It was written by David Johansson who also sings lead.

The

All we saw just before on the Dolls.

I didn't know the kids had just dragged it along.

I couldn't believe the way you sing the beat.

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