R.I.P. Johnny Ramone

[ghostsofgiants]

Any Ramones fans here?

http://www.billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000630922

Johnny Ramone, guitarist and co-founder of the seminal punk band the Ramones, has died at the age of 55. Ramone died in his sleep Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 15) at his Los Angeles home surrounded by friends and family, his publicist said. He had battled prostate cancer for five years, and was hospitalized in June at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Ramone, born John Cummings, was one of the original members of the Ramones, whose no-nonsense, three-chord rock'n'roll influenced a generation of future bands. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

Lead singer Joey Ramone (real name: Jeff Hyman) died in 2001 of lymphatic cancer. Bassist Dee Dee Ramone, who was born Douglas Colvin, died from a drug overdose in 2002.

Ramone was too ill to attend a tribute concert and cancer research fund-raiser held Sunday in Los Angeles to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary. It featured performances by Los Angeles punk band X, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Henry Rollins and Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder.

A similar event is on tap for Oct. 8 at New York's Spirit club, featuring the Strokes and Blondie.

Along with his wife, Linda Cummings, Ramone was surrounded at his death by Vedder and Rob and Sherrie Zombie. Other friends who gathered at his Los Angeles home included Lisa Marie Presley, Pete Yorn, Vincent Gallo and Talia Shire.

Ramone was said to have been working on his memoirs with Washington Times reporter Steve Miller.

[Seldona]

1. R.I.P

Long live the Ramones!

I wanna be sedated.

Come to think of it, I pretty much am.

:evilgrin:

[Pale Blue Dot]

2. Crap.

Crap, crap, crap. :-(

[richmwill]

3. Sad News

The Ramones are one of the greatest bands ever. To think that 3 of the original members are gone now is very sad.

[drumwolf]

4. Wow... absolutely amazing (and not in a good way)

Johnny may have been a Repuke, but his death is still a shame nonetheless, and even more so considering he's the THIRD Ramone to die in such a short span of time.

OK, granted, it's not like they were spring chickens at this point. But still, to have the singer, guitarist and bassist of the Ramones all die within four years of each other, and of separate unrelated causes no less, makes me believe there really is such thing as a curse. Unbelievable.

[ghostsofgiants]

5. ...

Dude, no offense, but bringing politics into this is not cool.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

15. I disagree. I mourn his passing greatly, but his politics were foolish

to say the least.
It would be hypocritical to whitewash his reputation upon death.

[Philostopher]

21. I'll say this much.

It's sad, may he rest in peace. The Ramones were a real shock to my rural Midwestern brain -- changed what I listen to forever.

I doubt he will, though -- if there's a 'great beyond,' Joey and Dee Dee will be hassling Johnny on into eternity over his politics. I think that's as it should be. It's their job, not mine.

[Tom Kitten]

6. Terrible news

the Ramones changed my life, for the better. So sad they all died young, really (55 is still too young to die)...
I'll be playing the Ramones all day tomorrow...

[flamingyouth]

7. Very sad to hear this

The Ramones were one of my all-time favorite bands. :(

RIP, Johnny

[Gothic Sponge]

8. RIP

It seems like just yesterday when i last saw the Ramones in NYC.

[Bombtrack]

9. He was the conservative republican. In case you didn't know

and no that in no way takes away from the sadness of seeing him go. He was a great talent and as far I as I know a real good guy.

[lapislzi]

10. Awww...geez...another one...

I feel old.

I was a Ramones groupie back in the early 80s.

Shit, shit, shit.

[asthmaticeog]

11. All the Ramones who wrote the tunes are dead now.

Nothing left of the band but the three drummers and Dee Dee's replacement bassist now.

What a shame that the creative forces behind the most important band of my lifetime have all died young.

[jonnyblitz]

12. I used to be. saw them a few days in my "yoot"

:(

[Beware the Beast Man]

13. Oh, man. Nice way to start the morning...

That really sucks. May he rest in peace. Yes, he was RW, but first and foremost he was a Ramone!

[auburngrad82]

14. Saw them in 1983

at the Strand Theater in Marietta, GA.

Somewhere I have a bunch of photos from the show. Georgia Satellites opened for them. From everything I've ever heard they were a nice bunch of guys. Always helping out new bands.

[johnnie]

16. RIP Johnny....................

I remember cutting school in the 9th grade (1979) to sneak in to the theater to see "Rock and Roll High School". Man, it seems so long ago and I am feeling my age today. The Ramones were such a great Rock band when so many of the top acts were wearing glimmery pants and disco was dominating the radio waves.
I still have my biker jacket from those days, although it doesn't fit too well (not at all actually). The scene back then was cool, but just not out in the sunshine. The Ramones were about the only ones that really got out there and were well known enough to make the impact for the punk scene. Gotta love em.
Unfortunately, I never got a chance to see them, but I did have a good friend (who passed away early last year) who was hanging out with Dee Dee a few years back. He took him thru the Hall of Fame here and told me that Dee Dee was a little impressed at what they had on the Ramones there.
Oh well, another of the legends gone and time moves on. I'm sorry for the yappin', this stuff just makes my memory banks open up.

[HughBeaumont]

17. 3 of the Ramones are dead, and at relatively young ages

Yet Courtney Love is still alive.

Life isn't a damned bit fair.

At all.

R.I.P. Johnny, Joey and Dee Dee. "Rock and Roll Heaven" is now Rock and Roll High School.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

18. Bryan Adams is alive - Why?

Why, God, why?

[HughBeaumont]

19. Because we haven't heard "Summer of SIXty Nine"

nearly enough!!

Footnote: Bryan Adams was 9 freaking years old in the Summer of '69.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

20. Yeah, but he's not talkin' about '69 the year, though.

He's talking about the dirty summer of '69.

[Dukkha]

22. Live Fast Die Young

True punk rockers they were. The music world would not have been the same without their influence.

[redqueen]

23. Damn

I only saw them once. One of the best shows I've ever been to.

:cry:

[Kathy in Cambridge]

24. So sad

The Ramones. Joe Strummer. :cry:

I'm listening to "Rocket to Russia" right now. RIP Johnny.