SOMETHING ABOUT THE RAMONES HISTORY

Ramones is a group from Forest Hills, New York, USA. Guitarist Johnny Ramone (original name John Cummings) tells in his book Commando: The Autobiography Of Johnny Ramone of first days:
- Tommy Ramone (Thomas Erdelyi, started as a manager but became drummer soon) kept telling us that he would be our manager and producer, saying: "Don't worry, I'll show you how to do this." So we thought: "Okay, who else should be in the band?" We were friends with Joey Ramone (Jeffrey Hyman, became singer) and we knew he played drums, and we had another friend named Richie (Ritchie) Stern who was into the Stooges, and Richie would do his Iggy imitations for us.
- Dee Dee Ramone (Douglas Colvin, became bassist) and I started the band practising in the living room of my Forest Hills apartment. Both of us were playing guitar, and we were going to teach Richie how to play bass. Joey would play drums, and Dee Dee was going to sing. But after a few days, we realized Richie just wasn't going to get it. He had no sense of timing or rhythm. I was still terrible, but getting better and better each day. I realized I wanted to be the only guitar player in the band, so we got rid of Richie and moved Dee Dee over to bass.", tells Johnny in his book.

This Richie was different than the Richie Ramone who joined the Ramones in 1983. So Joey was at first drummer, but four months later manager Tommy become a drummer and let Joey sing.
Then real original line-up was:
- Joey Ramone: singer.
- Johnny Ramone: guitarist.
- Dee Dee Ramone: bassist.
- Tommy Ramone: drummer.

All members used Ramone as their surname. They got their first attention on the New York rockscene in August 1974. They got rousing approval from audiences in CBGB in the Manhattan Bowery district. Ramones played many times in CBGB and too all around N.Y. Their first TV appearance was in Radio City Studios in N.Y 1975.

The Ramones auditioned for Seymour Stein of Sire Records in the late fall of 1975 and they signed with Sire Records in January 1976. The Ramones started recording debut album in February 2nd, 1976. Debut album was released on April 23, 1976.
This music was really fresh and vibrant. Ramones was invited punk. Their concerts included a summer visit to London. They saw there Damned and Clash in fourth of july. Clash was began in that day and Damned before in that week. Sex Pistols had started before, but they took the music be based on Ramones sound.

‘All the better-known punk groups that followed - The Sex Pistols, The Clash, whoever - they would be the first ones to say that without The Ramones the whole punk movement never would have happened,’ has commented Spin magazine editor-in-chief Alan Light.

Second album Leave Home released early in 1977. They came after this for example, to my homecounry Finland in May. They played in Helsinki and Tampere. From Finland they went to England. They released Rocket To Russia in late 1977. Tommy left from the band in May 78 but remains producer. Marc Bell from Richard's Hells Voivods replaced Tommy. Road To Ruin released in 78. They recorded legendary live album It's Alive at London's Rainbow Theatre at new year's eve 31.12.77. They featured in Rock'N'Roll High School -film. End Of The Century in 1980. It recorded in 5 different studios. This diverged from the group 70' releases. 1981 they released Pleasant Dreams it was return to basics. Subterranean Jungle 1983 received strong support from critics. Several of whom compared it favourably with the best of group early work. Joey and Johnny were health problems and Marky leaves the group and is replaced by Richard Beau (he became Richie Ramone) whom old band was Velveteen. They went to do complete Too Tough To Die 1984.

Animal Boy, 1986, song Bonzo Goes To Bitburg is a reference to a controversial visit by President Ronald Reagan to a nazi war grave. Halfway To Sanity was released in 1987 and first Ramones collection album Ramones Mania in 1988. Ramones Mania contains 30 song. By then Richie departed and Marky came back to drums. Brain Drain released 1989 and Pet Sematary had title track for Stephen King Film. Dee Dee leaves group to become rap performer Dee Dee King. His replacement had young Christopher Ward (he became CJ Ramone). Ramones was his first big band.

Sire released All The Stuff (And More) Vol.1 which compilated albums Ramones and Leave Home with 2 demo tracks and 1 other. These 3 tracks are previously unreleased tracks. All The Stuff (And More) Vol.2 compilated Rocket To Russia and Road To Ruin with 3 previously unreleased track. Loco Live is second live album from Ramones. It was recorded in Barcelona. 1992 released Mondo Bizarro contain Doors-cover Take It As It Comes. Ramones appears too in cartoon-program The Simpsons. They done more cover tracks and finally the whole albun Acid Eaters. Pete Townshend, Sebastian Bach and Traci Lords appears in this album. Album named Adios Amigos came out in summer 1995. That album was really strong performance from the Ramones and last studio album. Year 1996 was very busy and they got much famous and they released Greatest Hits Live, which featured too studio tracks R.A.M.O.N.E.S and Any Way You Want It.

Last gig was at The Palace, in Los Angeles on August 6, 1996. The Ramones performed 2263 concerts in all

Marky had new bands called Marky Ramone And Intruders and Marky Ramone Group, then he was touring with the Misfits etc. CJ had Los Gusanos (split-up 2000), then CJ started Warm Jets and it became soon Bad Chopper. Also guys played on Remains/Ramainz. At first line-up was Dee Dee Ramone, CJ Ramone, Marky Ramone and Dee Dee's new wife Barbara Zambini. Dee Dee released many solo albums and also Joey planned to release album, but then he passed away and ...

It happened April 15th, 2001. Joey Ramone passed away afternoon 2.40PM in a hospital in New York City where he was many weeks being treated for cancer. Arturo Vega wrote to me that Joey's loving family was there at his bedside. On his last moments Joey listened U2-song: In A Little While. Joey's first solo album Don't Worry About Me was released in 2002 and second ...Ya Know was released in 2012.
You can find my memorial page for Joey Ramone here.

The Ramones were later hailed as "The Beatles of punk rock" for defining punk before punk took off. Ramones is in Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. 2002 was for Ramones first year of eligibility. The 17th annual Rock And Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City on March 18, 2002. Dee Dee was really lovely in a ceremony... Then did happen the most bad Shock Treatment what we can get... Dee Dee died at his home in Los Angeles on June 5, 2002... Barbara found Dee Dee at 8:25 pm on their living room couch and she called 911... Fire department paramedics pronounced Dee Dee dead at 8:40 pm. It was accidental drug overdose...
You can find my memorial page for Dee Dee Ramone here.

Ramones had their 30th Anniversary Show in Los Angeles on September 12, 2004. Johnny was main man behind on it. But Johnny wasn't in that show, (only 3 days later) Johnny Ramone passed away at 3:03PM on September 15, 2004 in his home in Los Angeles, USA.... Johnny had prostate cancer for five years. According to his publicist, at the time of his death, Ramone was surrounded by friends and family that included his wife Linda Cummings, Eddie and Jill McCormack, Rob and Sherrie Zombie, John Frusciante and Robert Carmine.
You can find my memorial page for Johnny Ramone here.

That was pretty solid story of Ramones history. Also so lot has happen since 2004, like we also lost last founding member of the Ramones, dear Tommy Ramone passed away in his home in July 11, 2014. You can find my memorial page for Tommy Ramone here.

Go and browse more information through main page of this my Ramones site
or go to center page of Ramones members
or go to read latest news
or go to archive page of news.

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RAMONES LINE-UPS:

1974-1978
Joey Ramone (Lead vocals)
Johnny Ramone (Guitar)
Dee Dee Ramone (Bass, vocals)
Tommy Ramone (Drums)

1978-1983
Joey Ramone (Lead vocals)
Johnny Ramone (Guitar)
Dee Dee Ramone (Bass, vocals)
Marky Ramone (Drums)

1983-1987
Joey Ramone (Lead vocals)
Johnny Ramone (Guitar)
Dee Dee Ramone (Bass, vocals)
Richie Ramone (Drums)

1987-1989
Joey Ramone (Lead vocals)
Johnny Ramone (Guitar)
Dee Dee Ramone (Bass, vocals)
Marky Ramone (Drums)

1989-1996
Joey Ramone (Lead vocals)
Johnny Ramone (Guitar)
CJ Ramone (Bass, vocals)
Marky Ramone (Drums)

RITCHIE, CLEM AND BILLY....