Aurelia Butler

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    Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande Perform ‘Defying Gravity’ at Oscars

    The stars of “Wicked” Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo opened the Oscars with a spirited tribute to the cinematic versions of Oz, culminating in a rendition in “Defying Gravity” from their nominated film.After a montage of classic onscreen Los Angeles moments — a nod to the recent fires — Grande emerged, singing “Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz” in a sparkling red dress, evoking Dorothy’s ruby slippers. Erivo then took the stage, belting “Home” from “The Wiz.”Grande then returned for “Defying Gravity,” before Erivo brought everything home with her emphatic war cry. The crowd roared and gave them a standing ovation. The camera caught their co-star Michelle Yeoh in tears.While Grande and Erivo have been essentially joined at the hip during the promotional tour for the film and, of course, harmonize onscreen, they have rarely performed live together. They sang a duet at the 2024 Met Gala, singing “When You Believe,” an Oscar winner for the 1998 film “The Prince of Egypt.” That ballad, famously recorded by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, was written by the “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz.“Wicked” — a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” that focuses on the character of the Wicked Witch of the West, otherwise known as Elphaba — has 10 Oscar nominations, including one apiece for Erivo and Grande, nominated in the leading and supporting actress categories, respectively.While the movie is not a best picture front-runner, it is the highest-grossing nominee, coming in fifth at the 2024 worldwide box office, just ahead of fellow nominee “Dune: Part Two.” Including a performance from “Wicked” in the ceremony is likely a draw for audiences who might not have seen, say, “The Brutalist,” which has been relatively difficult to watch as it slowly expanded its theatrical release.“Wicked,” directed by Jon M. Chu, became a phenomenon, in part because of the wave of merchandise it spawned as well as the viral moments it generated. Take, for instance, the interview in which a reporter told Erivo and Grande that people were “holding space” for the lyrics of “Defying Gravity.”Grande and Erivo’s appearance on the telecast is also a reminder that they may be back next year. “Wicked” only covers the first act of the Broadway musical on which it is based. The sequel, “Wicked: For Good,” is due out in November. More

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    2025 Oscars Red Carpet Photos: Halle Berry, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez

    The carpet outside the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles was classic red. The stars who appeared at the 97th Academy Awards wore colors from all across the spectrum.The Oscars campaign season has been a long but fashionable slog for Timothée Chalamet, Colman Domingo, Cynthia Erivo, Ariane Grande, Mikey Madison and other luminaries. By the time they arrived for the annual ceremony on Sunday afternoon, they had settled into their sartorial best.Here’s how the nominees, presenters and performers looked when they made their biggest entrances of the year.Timothée Chalamet in a Givenchy suit.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesSwipe for more →Colman DomingoJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesMike Coppola/Getty ImagesMike Coppola/Getty ImagesMike Coppola/Getty ImagesMikey Madison in a Dior gown.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesZoe Saldana wore a gown by Yves Saint Laurent.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesSelena Gomez wore Ralph Lauren.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesSwipe for more →Cynthia ErivoJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesJae C. Hong/Invision, via Associated PressMike Coppola/Getty ImagesMario Anzuoni/ReutersMike Coppola/Getty ImagesMargaret Qualley wore Chanel.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesEmma Stone wore Louis Vuitton.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesJeremy Strong in Loro Piana.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesMonica Barbaro wore Dior.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesMiley Cyrus wore Alexander McQueen.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesHalle BerryJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesMichelle YeohJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesSwipe for more →Ariana Grande, who was nominated for best supporting actress for “Wicked,” arrived in a dress by Schiaparelli Couture.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesRichard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressNina Westervelt for The New York TimesNina Westervelt for The New York TimesNina Westervelt for The New York TimesElliot Brody, Sylvia Plachy, Adrien Brody and Georgina Chapman.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesPenélope CruzNina Westervelt for The New York TimesJazz Charton, left, with Kieran Culkin, who wore a suit by Zegna.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesDoja Cat wore Balmain.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesLupita Nyong’o in a Chanel gown.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesSebastian StanJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesScarlett JohanssonJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesBrandi Carlile and Catherine ShepherdJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesFelicity Jones wore a Giorgio Armani Privé gown.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesJon M. Chu in a tux by NB44.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesElle Fanning, a presenter, arrived in Givenchy Haute Couture.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesMark Eydelshteyn wore Balenciaga.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesRobert Downey Jr., Susan DowneyNina Westervelt for The New York TimesJeff Goldblum, never a wallflower, wore Prada.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesSwipe for more →The tennis champ Coco Gauff wore neon yellow at the Australian Open in January and a paler shade to the Oscars.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesRobyn Beck/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesRobyn Beck/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesRobyn Beck/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesEdward Norton arrived in Dior Men.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesWhoopi Goldberg wore a dress by Christian Siriano.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesYura Borisov and Anna BorisovaJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesMr. Yang was dressed up in a Custom Etro black leather jacket for his duties as a presenter.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesConan O’Brien and Liza Powel O’BrienJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesMindy Kaling wore an Oscar de la Renta gown.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesIsabella RosselliniJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesAndrew GarfieldJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesLaura Dern wore Gucci.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesJesse Eisenberg in a Dior Men suit.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesGoldie Hawn and Kurt RussellJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesThe actress Storm Reid of “Euphoria” and “The Last of Us” in a dress by Alexandre Vauthier.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesAna de Armas in a Louis Vuitton gown.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesRyan Michelle Bathe and Sterling K. BrownJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesJeremy PopeJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesFernanda Torres, a best actress nominee for her starring role in “I’m Still Here,” wore a gown by Chanel.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesSwipe for more →Adriana PazNina Westervelt for The New York TimesRobyn Beck/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesNina Westervelt for The New York TimesNina Westervelt for The New York TimesRichard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressJoe AlwynJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesGal Gadot wore a Prada gown.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesCoralie Fargeat wore an Atelier Versace gown and jewelry by Maison Boucheron.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesQueen LatifahJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesRalph FiennesNina Westervelt for The New York TimesDa’Vine Joy RandolphJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesRachel ZeglerJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesPaul TazewellJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesLily-Rose DeppJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesLena WaitheJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesGiancarlo EspositoNina Westervelt for The New York TimesThe French actress Stacy Martin in Louis Vuitton.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesWillem DafoeJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesH.E.R.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesDennis Quaid and Laura SavoieJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesSamuel L. JacksonNina Westervelt for The New York TimesRita WilsonNina Westervelt for The New York TimesAmy PoehlerNina Westervelt for The New York TimesBen StillerNina Westervelt for The New York TimesKelly Ripa, left, and Mark ConsuelosJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesGuy PearceJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesConnie NielsenJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesPaz VegaNina Westervelt for The New York TimesMiles Teller, left, and Keleigh SperryJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesThe actor Ethan Slater in a Giorgio Armani tux.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesMary Yeager and John LithgowNina Westervelt for The New York TimesThe Oscar winner Marlee Matlin.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesDiane WarrenNina Westervelt for The New York TimesYasmin FinneyNina Westervelt for The New York TimesJune SquibbJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesMarissa BodeJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesPauline ChalametNina Westervelt for The New York TimesEmily Kassie, a nominee in the best documentary feature category for “Sugarcane,” in a red gown.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesMeg RyanJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesGayle KingNina Westervelt for The New York TimesLaura BlountJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesAva DuVernayNina Westervelt for The New York TimesAmelia Dimoldenberg, the host of the YouTube series “Chicken Shop Date,” wore Versace.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesRayeNina Westervelt for The New York TimesThe model and social media star Calum Harper.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesDave BautistaJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesLisa ManobalJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesThe actor and host Mario Lopez went with a classic look.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesCharlotte Lawrence and Andrew WattJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesNick OffermanJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesEdvin Ryding, known for his work on “The Young Royals,” wore a sash.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesJanet Yang, a producer and a former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in a gown from Max Studio.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesVolker Bertelmann, an Oscar-winning composer who was nominated for the score of “Conclave,” in white tie.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesBruna MarquezineNina Westervelt for The New York TimesEmily Mortimer and Alessandro NivolaJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesThe actress Alba Rohrwacher.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesThe singer, songwriter and actor Omar Apollo wore a Valentino suit.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesEmmanuel Janvier, a nominee in the makeup and hairstyling category for “Emilia Pérez.”Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesSwipe for more →Coco JonesNina Westervelt for The New York TimesRichard Shotwell/Invision, via Associated PressNina Westervelt for The New York TimesRobyn Beck/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesRaffey CassidyJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesThe singer and actress Kayo Shekoni, left, and Johan Grimonprez, who is nominated in the documentary feature category for “Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat.”Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesJulia Floch Carbonel, who was nominated in the makeup and hairstyling category for “Emilia Pérez.”Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesThe actor Joe Locke.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesJessica Steele-Sanders and Chris SandersJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesBretman RockNina Westervelt for The New York Times More

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    Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Continue ‘Wicked’ Theme at Oscars Red Carpet

    In the words of Glinda, pink goes good with green.After months of method dressing, “Wicked” stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo both arrived on the Oscars red carpet in their Ozian characters’ signature colors.For Ms. Grande, nominated for best supporting actress, that meant an icy pink satin and tulle bustier gown from Schiaparelli decked out in more than 190,000 crystal sequins, rhinestones and beads. The wiggly waistline was inspired by an lamp designed by the artist Alberto Giacometti.Ariana Grande’s Schiaparelli gown was decorated with more than 190,000 crystal sequins, rhinestones and beads.Nina Westervelt for The New York TimesErivo’s signature fingernails were decorated with elaborate, hand-sculpted gilded art, including a tiny watch and clock.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesMs. Erivo, who is nominated for best actress, opted for a shade of deep forest green, so dark it almost appeared black at first glance. But make no mistake, the subtle homage was intentional. Speaking with E! on the red carpet, she said the velvet Louis Vuitton gown — with an almost vampiric architectural collar — was a “nod to Oz, a nod to the green, and a nod to old Hollywood.” Her signature fingernails by the nail artist Mycah Dior were decorated with elaborate, hand-sculpted gilded art, including a tiny watch and clock.Over the course of the “Wicked” press tour, both stars regularly stepped out in styles that referenced their characters. At the premiere in Los Angeles, Ms. Grande wore a pink Thom Browne gingham dress, while Ms. Erivo donned a green vinyl Louis Vuitton number.Even at events not officially related to the film, the pair remained committed to the bit, like during an appearance at the Olympics in Paris where they each wore … well, you know.The second installment of “Wicked” comes out later this year. We’ll have to wait and see if the duo will still be holding space for pink and green come November. More

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    Jake Heggie’s Adaptation of ‘Moby Dick’ Comes to the Metropolitan Opera

    Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s 2010 adaptation of Melville’s unruly novel opens this week at the Metropolitan Opera.When “Moby Dick” opens at the Metropolitan Opera this week, audiences will experience a deeply American story of unchecked ambition, fomented grievances and a self-destructive desire for revenge.Based on Herman Melville’s 1851 novel, the opera delivers an economical and resolute retelling of the fateful tale of the Pequod, a ship in pursuit of a vengeful white whale. The libretto, by Gene Scheer, hits the book’s main conflicts without losing track of the action. The score, by Jake Heggie, is graceful and propulsive. The opera’s ending is certain and clear.It’s probably fair to say that more people know the story of the white whale from parodies or synopses than from reading “Moby Dick.” But an adaptation is not just a summary of the book’s major events. A society obsessed with efficiencies can be overly focused on directness.Skillful though it is, the opera, which had its premiere in Houston in 2010, has a kind of scrubbed and airless storytelling that leaves the singularity of the novel behind. This is the sort of adaptation that audiences have long responded to — a simplification of the book’s billowy structure to emphasize its plot. But can a tidy adaptation truly represent this unruly book, with its dramas born of endless uncertainties? Or is the purpose of adaptation something different?The tenor Brandon Jovanovich, center, sings Captain Ahab at a dress rehearsal of the Metropolitan Opera’s production of “Moby Dick,” which opens on Monday night.Sara Krulwich/The New York TimesA composer decides what aspects of the narrative can be told through music, while a librettist shapes the story through words that can be thrown out into the air by way of song. An aria reveals a character’s singularity and ambition. Characters sing them to announce what they want and what lengths they must pursue to get it. Each creative turn adds distance from the book.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    What to Watch For at the Oscars: ‘Emilia Pérez,’ Cynthia Erivo and More

    From the most competitive races to the lasting controversies, here’s a guide to becoming an instant expert.The Best Picture Race Looks Wide OpenRalph Fiennes in “Conclave,” which is a top contender for the best picture Oscar. Its biggest competition: “Anora.”Focus FeaturesWhen the Ralph Fiennes-led papal thriller “Conclave” secured the highest honor at the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards last weekend, it seemed like a strong indicator that it would prevail in the best picture category at the Academy Awards on Sunday night. After all, the last three winners of SAG’s top prize — “Oppenheimer,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “CODA” — all won the best picture statuette at the Oscars.But it isn’t exactly that clear cut.Those past three films had essentially swept their awards season, and aside from the SAG Awards, “Conclave” has won only one other best picture title, at the BAFTAs in February.“Anora,” the comedy-drama about a stripper (played by Mikey Madison) whose modern fairy-tale romance implodes, had several of the other early big wins this season, including two major industry prizes — from the Directors Guild of America and the Producers Guild of America — that almost always signal a best-picture Oscar up ahead.Also, Edward Berger, the director of “Conclave,” was not nominated for a best directing Oscar. Only six films in the history of the Oscars have won best picture without a best directing nomination, most recently “CODA” in 2022.Scandals Plague ‘Emilia Pérez’Karla Sofía Gascón in “Emilia Pèrez.” She is up for a best actress Oscar, but her chances of winning may have been derailed by recent scandals.Shanna Besson/NetflixJust a few weeks ago, “Emilia Pérez” was on top of the world. The Spanish-language musical out of France had earned 13 Oscar nominations, the most of any film this year (and nearly the most ever), and its lead, Karla Sofía Gascón, made history as the first openly transgender actress to be nominated for an Academy Award, in the best actress category no less.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    My Red Carpet Quest: A Two-Year Search for Steve

    Times Insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together.Steve Olive was my white whale.I had been trying for two years to write a profile of Mr. Olive, the co-founder of Event Carpet Pros, the California-based company responsible for custom-making the colorful, though not always red, carpets for thousands of movie premieres, the Golden Globes, the Grammy Awards, the Super Bowl and, since 1997, the Academy Awards.I learned about Mr. Olive in 2023, while reporting an article about why the organizers of the Oscars were rolling out a champagne-colored carpet that year. My editor, Katie Van Syckle, and I had found the Event Carpet Pros website and we took turns calling the listed number in an effort to reach someone. Finally, Katie connected with Mr. Olive, and briefly interviewed him.But this mysterious, matter-of-fact, low-key man at the heart of the glitz and glamour of awards season stuck in my mind. I wanted to know more about him. How does one become a rug guy? What had he wanted to be when he grew up? Had he ever attended an award show himself?Last year, when the Oscars returned to a classic red carpet, Katie and I again agreed that I should pursue a story on Mr. Olive, but he was hesitant. But this year, with the encouragement of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, he agreed. It was three weeks before the ceremony.Mission: Steve, as I termed it, had officially begun.I sent a barrage of frantic texts and placed several calls to Brooke Blumberg, a publicist for the academy, trying to nail down when the carpet, which was manufactured at a mill in Dalton, Ga., would arrive at the company’s warehouse in La Mirada, Calif., a city in Los Angeles County.My goal was to be there when the approximately 30 rolls, each weighing 630 pounds, were unloaded in the Event Carpet Pros parking lot, from a truck that had been driven about 35 hours, from Dalton. The scene, I imagined, would be akin to the arrival of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York City.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    David Johansen, Who Fronted the New York Dolls and More, Dies at 75

    David Johansen, the singer and songwriter who was at the vanguard of glam rock and punk as the frontman of the New York Dolls, died yesterday at his home on Staten Island. He was 75.His death was confirmed by his stepdaughter, Leah Hennessey.Mr. Johansen revealed last month that he was suffering from Stage 4 cancer, a brain tumor and a broken back. He announced a fund-raising campaign through the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund to assist with his medical bills, saying, “I’ve never been one to ask for help, but this is an emergency.”Mr. Johansen was prolific in multiple genres, from blues to calypso, and achieved his greatest commercial success in the late 1980s and early ’90s with his pompadoured lounge-lizard alter ego, Buster Poindexter. But his 1970s heyday with the New York Dolls, a band of lipstick-smeared men in love with trashy riffs and tough women, had the most cultural impact, inspiring numerous punk, heavy metal and alternative musicians.One of those musicians was the singer-songwriter Morrissey of the Smiths, who first witnessed the band as a 13-year-old living in Manchester, England. It was 1973, and the BBC was broadcasting a Dolls show. As the young Morrissey watched the Dolls flail through “Jet Boy,” he had what he called his “first real emotional experience,” according to Nina Antonia’s 1998 book, “The New York Dolls: Too Much Too Soon.” Morrissey soon became the president of the band’s British fan club.The New York Dolls were notorious for transgressive behavior; they were especially notorious for cross-dressing. “Before going onstage, the Dolls pass around a Max Factor lipstick the way some bands pass around a joint,” Ed McCormack wrote in Rolling Stone in 1972.“We used to wear some really outrageous clothes,” Mr. Johansen said in the prologue to the 1987 music video for Buster Poindexter’s hit song “Hot Hot Hot.” “These heavy mental bands in L.A. don’t have the market cornered on wearing their mothers’ clothes.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    David Johansen: 15 Essential Songs

    He was the frontman of the New York Dolls, an adventurous solo performer and the lounge act Buster Poindexter. Listen to highlights from his eclectic catalog.It’s a paradox that Staten Island, New York City’s most conservative borough, produced David Johansen, one of its most outrageous frontmen. Johansen led the New York Dolls, five bright-eyed boys who dressed flamboyantly and dreamed of sounding like the Shirelles crossed with a midtown traffic jam. He died on Friday, at age 75.The Dolls’ self-titled first album, released in 1973, peaked at No. 116 on the Billboard album chart. Dismal, but they never got any higher. The title of their second album, “Too Much Too Soon,” told the story: The Dolls’ ecstatic form of rock ’n’ roll is credited as a chief influence on punk rock, but at the time, they were dismissed as talentless charlatans in drag. Mick Taylor of the Rolling Stones supposedly called them “the worst high school band I ever saw,” and even if their A&R man Paul Nelson made up this quote, it summarizes a widely held opinion.Overwhelmed by rejection, the Dolls disbanded, and Johansen started a solo career that was distinguished by his bonhomie and panache. He took stylistic diversions that included disco, Latin music, folk and vaudeville, and in the late ’80s, he began acting in movies, including “Scrooged” and “Car 54, Where Are You?” He also performed as Buster Poindexter, a lounge singer whose taste in oldies was more cruise ship than Café Carlyle. Regardless of style or medium, his work retained a sense of humor, a love of individualism and a distaste for conformism.Johansen seemed to know every good song ever written, a breadth he displayed on Mansion of Fun, the weekly SiriusXM satellite radio show he began hosting in 2004. He didn’t distinguish between low and high art, or between kitsch and classics. In May 2019, he tweeted a reminder to tune in to Mansion of Fun, and added, “a passion for music is in itself an avowal. We know more about a stranger who yields himself up to it than about someone who is deaf to music and whom we see every day.”He yielded himself up to a passion for music as much as anyone who’s ever lived. Here are 15 of his best songs.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More