TOMMY RAMONE LAST ORIGINAL BAND MEMBER DIES

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LAST OF THE RAMONES

Story By: G.H. Harding
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Tommy Ramone


Tommy Ramone, the last surviving original member of iconic New York punk band the Ramones, has died at age 65. The announcement was made early Saturday through the band's official Twitter account. Ramone, who was born Thomas Erdelyi in Budapest, Hungary, was the band’s drummer from 1974 to 1978. He also co-produced their first three albums.



Ramone died at 12:15 p.m. at his home in Queens, New York, according to a Facebook post from New York Rocker Magazine publisher Andy Schwartz. He had been in hospice care after suffering from cancer of the bile duct, Schwartz said.



Though they never had a Top 40 hit, the Ramones’ minimalistic, speedy style of rock influenced subsequent legends like Nirvana, the Sex Pistols and Bruce Springsteen. Their hits include “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker,” “Beat on the Brat” and “I Wanna be Sedated.”




Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee and Tommy Ramone, taking their surname from an alias Paul McCartney used to check into hotels, formed in Queens, N.Y. in 1974. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members were among the leaders of the original punk rock and immortalized the late-great club, CBGB’s, and its owner Hillary Kristal.



PR-man David Salidor, who at the time handled publicity for ZE Records –another label at the forefront of the burgeoning punk movement- said, “Their importance cannot be minimized. They weren’t great musicians, performers or writers, but when they came together on stage, they spoke to an entire music generation – the burgeoning punk, no-wave, new wave movement.”



Wearing ripped jeans, black leather and bad haircuts, the Ramones stripped rock down to its essentials: two guitars, drums, a singer and no solos. Their 1976 debut album had 14 songs in less than 30 minutes, with “Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue” and “Beat on the Brat” reflecting their twisted teen years.



The Ramones disbanded in 1996 and its three other members have since died. Johnny Ramone, born John Cummings, died in 2004 of prostate cancer. Joey Ramone, born Jeff Hyman, died in 2001 of lymphatic cancer. Dee Dee Ramone, born Douglas Colvin, died from a drug overdose in 2002.




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