NationStates Jolt Archive

Johnny Ramone, guitarist in punk band The Ramones, has died at the age of 55 following a long fight against cancer.
He passed away at his Los Angeles home on Wednesday, surrounded by friends and family, said the band's artistic director Arturo Vega.
Johnny Ramone, real name John Cummings, battled prostate cancer for five years.
A public tribute is being organised and he will be cremated on Thursday at a private service. The Ramones were one of the most influential bands in rock.
Johnny Ramone is the third member of the band to die in the past few years, leaving Tommy Ramone as the only surviving member of the original line-up.
Singer Joey Ramone, whose original name was Jeff Hyman, died in 2001 from lymphatic cancer.
Bass player Dee Dee Ramone, real name Douglas Colvin, died of a drug overdose the following year.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3661434.stm

One, two,three, four...
No more :-(

Liked them, did you? Heared it yesterday morning.
Favorite songs?

They were certainly before my time, but I like their music better than most punk you hear today. Pretty depressing, isn't it? Just 3-4 years ago they were all still here.

I saw them once in Belgium in 1995 or so, will never forget the famous 1/2/3/4 before the songs.

What to say? I was a fan since 1977. They were the best and no-one else did it the same way.

Favourite album? Incomparably, the double live album of their UK tour c. '79.

Most vivid memory? Seeing them live, Johnny and Dee Dee at the front of the stage, drenched in sweat and their guitars on their knees, sending out the screaming roar of their sound. Joey towering between them, wrapped around his mike stand, crooning sweet melodies. Thinking, "Yes, that's how it is!" for one fleeting moment before diving back into the pogo-ers.

(NB: Essential reference: "Hey Ho, Let's Go; The story of the Ramones", by Everett True. (And not just because it's dedicated to yours truly!))

Kind of depressing that this ended up on the second page so quickly, too...

People die. The important thing here is that their music will live on. Their still have TONS of fans, so I doubt anyone will be forgetting about them anytime soon ;)