David Johansen has died at the age of 75

A spokesperson for the star told Rolling Stone: "David Johansen died at home in NYC on Friday afternoon holding hands with his wife Mara Hennessey and daughter Leah, surrounded by music, flowers, and love. He was 75 years old and died of natural causes after nearly a decade of illness."

Johansen was best known for his work with punk pioneers the New York Dolls, who recorded the influential albums 'New York Dolls' and 'Too Much Too Soon' in 1973 and 1974 respectively, but also enjoyed musical success under the pseudonym Buster Poindexter during the 1980s.

His stage presence attracted the attention of Hollywood and he went on to star as the Ghost of Christmas Past in the 1988 movie 'Scrooged' alongside Bill Murray.

The musician's daughter Leah revealed that her father had been suffering from cancer for a decade last month as the family launched a bid for funding for his around-the-clock care after he was left bedridden by a fall last November.

She revealed in an Instagram post while announcing a fundraising campaign in partnership with the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, which supports artists facing medical challenges: "David is a legend but he's also my very real, very sick dad."

She added in a statement on the Sweet Relief charity site: "He's never made his diagnosis public, as he and my mother, Mara, are generally very private people, but we feel compelled to share this now due to the increasingly severe financial burden our family is facing."

David is survived by his wife Mara Hennessey and daughter Leah.