Print-friendly Version
Punk pioneer Joey Ramone dead at 49
Punk-rock icon Joey Ramone, frontman of the legendary group the Ramones, died on Sunday (4/14) of cancer. He was 49.
Ramone--born Jeffrey Hyman--was undergoing treatment for lymphoma in a New York City hospital, where he died at 2:40 p.m. with his family by his bedside, according to a statement on the group’s official website.
The Ramones are among the pioneers of the punk-rock genre, and are known for their simple, chord-driven, fast-tempo songs. The group formed in New York in 1974, released its self-titled debut in 1976 and spent the next 20 years recording and touring almost incessantly before breaking up in 1996.
Over the course of its two-decade recording career, the Ramones spawned such classic punk-rock hits as “I Wanna Be Sedated,” “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker,” “Rockaway Beach” and “Rock & Roll High School.”
The band--whose members were not related, but all of whom changed their last names to Ramone--was founded by Joey, Johnny (guitar), Dee Dee (bass) and Tommy (drums). Over the years, the lineup changed to include Marky (drums), Richie (drums) and C.J. (bass).
The group’s last album, “Adios Amigos” (Radioactive), was released in 1995, and a farewell tour followed, which included a spot on 1996’s sixth incarnation of the Lollapalooza outing. The group’s final lineup featured Joey, Johnny, Marky and C.J.
Prior to his death, Joey was working on a solo album that featured Marky on drums. It is not known if the album will be released.
Plans for a Ramones movie were also in the works, according to an interview that liveDaily conducted with Dee Dee Ramone last fall. The status of the movie is unknown.
