C. J. Ramone
Encyclopedia
Christopher Joseph Ward (born October 8, 1965), better known as C. J. Ramone, is an American musician best known as working as the bassist
(and sometimes the vocalist) of punk rock
group Ramones
from 1989 to 1996.
, New York City, though he lived in Deer Park, New York
for most of his early life.
He attended Ss. Cyril and Methodius School
and graduated from Deer Park High School in 1983.
Prior to joining the Ramones, Ward served in the United States Marine Corps
. He was a fan of the Ramones, particularly of Dee Dee Ramone
, before joining the band, and later played with him in a band called The Remains
or The Ramainz, which was formed by Dee Dee Ramone, Marky Ramone
and Dee Dee's wife, Barbara Zampini (Barbara Ramone). He also played in Guitar Pete's Axe Attack, Los Gusanos
, Bad Chopper, and is currently touring as CJ Ramone.
it states that when C.J. joined the Ramones he was seen as a breath of fresh air into the band. Johnny Ramone
says he knew immediately when C.J. auditioned to replace Dee Dee that he was right, commenting that he "had the right look". When the Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
original Ramones drummer, Tommy Ramone
, credited C.J. with "keeping the band young". C.J. also had the idea for the band to cover Tom Waits
' "I Don't Want to Grow Up" on the album ¡Adios Amigos!
.
C.J. Ramone was the youngest member of the Ramones when he joined, by 9 years. (He also shared a birthday, October 8, with bandmate Johnny Ramone.) His first show with The Ramones was on September 30, 1989, in Leicester
, England, and he played with the band until they retired on August 6, 1996.
When he joined The Ramones, they gave him a black Mexican Fender Precision Bass
, with a white pickguard and a maple neck and that was his main bass for the first gigs with The Ramones. He also had two cream Fender Precision basses, one with a white pickguard and another with a black. (These can be seen on various backstage photos.) He then bought a white American Fender Precision with a white pickguard (later switched to a black to make it look more like Dee Dee's bass guitars). Then he finally got a vintage 1979 Fender Precision, like the basses that Dee Dee used to play. He would use that bass mainly the rest of his time with the Ramones.
While in the Ramones, C.J. had a Custom made Mosrite Bass made for him by Semie Mosley, white with a tortoise shell Pick guard. He used it in Bad Chopper. He has since sold this bass. He then used a Mosrite bass that he designed with Mr. Yuasa of the Filmore Company, the Mosrite copyright owner in Japan. It was white with a black pick guard (serial number 000CJ). This bass was stolen when he toured Japan in February 2010.
's niece, Chessa, with whom he has two children. He is now married to attorney Denise Barton with whom he has one daughter, Mia Dove. C. J. is working with Daniel Rey and drummer Michael Stamberg to finish a new solo album.
C.J. frequently speaks on the subject of autism because his son Liam has the condition.
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
(and sometimes the vocalist) of punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
group Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
from 1989 to 1996.
Background
Christopher J. Ward was born in QueensQueens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York City, though he lived in Deer Park, New York
Deer Park, New York
Deer Park is a hamlet and census-designated place in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 27,745 at the 2010 census.-History:...
for most of his early life.
He attended Ss. Cyril and Methodius School
Ss. Cyril and Methodius School
The School of Ss. Cyril and Methodius is an elementary/primary parochial located in Deer Park, New York. The school was the inspiration of the Father James J. Behan, the first formal pastor of the adjoining church of the same name, Ss. Cyril and Methodius. It opened in September 1962, staffed...
and graduated from Deer Park High School in 1983.
Prior to joining the Ramones, Ward served in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. He was a fan of the Ramones, particularly of Dee Dee Ramone
Dee Dee Ramone
Dee Dee Ramone was an American songwriter and musician, best known as founding member, bassist and main songwriter of the punk rock band the Ramones....
, before joining the band, and later played with him in a band called The Remains
The Ramainz
The Ramainz were a U.S. tribute band to The Ramones. Its members included Dee Dee Ramone, Marky Ramone, and Dee Dee's wife Barbara Zampini . They were known as The Remains until 1999 but had to change due to another band already using the name...
or The Ramainz, which was formed by Dee Dee Ramone, Marky Ramone
Marky Ramone
Marky Ramone is an American musician. He is best known for being the drummer for the Ramones, but has also played in other notable bands like Dust, Wayne County and the Backstreet Boys, Richard Hell & The Voidoids, and the Misfits.Although he is not the original drummer , Marky is the only living...
and Dee Dee's wife, Barbara Zampini (Barbara Ramone). He also played in Guitar Pete's Axe Attack, Los Gusanos
Los Gusanos
Los Gusanos is a garage/rock/punk band formed in 1992 by Chris Ward . The band began as a side project, but became a full-time job after the Ramones disbanded. Unlike his bassist role in Ramones, Ward sings lead and plays rhythm guitar...
, Bad Chopper, and is currently touring as CJ Ramone.
The Ramones
Ward replaced original band member Dee Dee Ramone, though Dee Dee continued to write songs for the group. C.J. sang many well-known Ramones songs, and gave The Ramones a younger image. In the documentary End of the Century: The Story of the RamonesEnd of the Century: The Story of the Ramones
End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones is a 2003 documentary film about highly influential New York punk rock band the Ramones. The film, produced and directed by Jim Fields and Michael Gramaglia, documents the band's history from their formation in the early 1970s and 22 subsequent years of...
it states that when C.J. joined the Ramones he was seen as a breath of fresh air into the band. Johnny Ramone
Johnny Ramone
John William Cummings , better known by his stage name Johnny Ramone, was an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being the guitarist for the punk rock band the Ramones. He was a founding member of the band, and remained a member throughout the band's entire career...
says he knew immediately when C.J. auditioned to replace Dee Dee that he was right, commenting that he "had the right look". When the Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
original Ramones drummer, Tommy Ramone
Tommy Ramone
Tommy Ramone, also known as Thomas Erdelyi , is a Hungarian American record producer and musician...
, credited C.J. with "keeping the band young". C.J. also had the idea for the band to cover Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
' "I Don't Want to Grow Up" on the album ¡Adios Amigos!
¡Adios Amigos!
¡Adiós Amigos! is the fourteenth and final studio album by the American punk rock band the Ramones. It was released on July 18, 1995 through Radioactive Records...
.
C.J. Ramone was the youngest member of the Ramones when he joined, by 9 years. (He also shared a birthday, October 8, with bandmate Johnny Ramone.) His first show with The Ramones was on September 30, 1989, in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, England, and he played with the band until they retired on August 6, 1996.
Equipment
C.J. has used Ampeg Amplification throughout his career.When he joined The Ramones, they gave him a black Mexican Fender Precision Bass
Fender Precision Bass
The Fender Precision Bass is an electric bass.Designed by Leo Fender as a prototype in 1950 and brought to market in 1951, the Precision was the first electric bass to earn widespread attention and use. A revolutionary instrument for the time, the Precision Bass has made an immeasurable impact on...
, with a white pickguard and a maple neck and that was his main bass for the first gigs with The Ramones. He also had two cream Fender Precision basses, one with a white pickguard and another with a black. (These can be seen on various backstage photos.) He then bought a white American Fender Precision with a white pickguard (later switched to a black to make it look more like Dee Dee's bass guitars). Then he finally got a vintage 1979 Fender Precision, like the basses that Dee Dee used to play. He would use that bass mainly the rest of his time with the Ramones.
While in the Ramones, C.J. had a Custom made Mosrite Bass made for him by Semie Mosley, white with a tortoise shell Pick guard. He used it in Bad Chopper. He has since sold this bass. He then used a Mosrite bass that he designed with Mr. Yuasa of the Filmore Company, the Mosrite copyright owner in Japan. It was white with a black pick guard (serial number 000CJ). This bass was stolen when he toured Japan in February 2010.
Other bands
Before the Ramones, Ward played in a band called Guitar Pete's Axe Attack, it is said they recorded an album. After the Ramones disbanded Ward started a side project, a hard rock band named Los Gusanos. They recorded one self-titled album in 1997 produced by Ramones' producer Daniel Rey. After the album they called it quits in 1998. After the breakup of Los Gusanos Ward formed Bad Chopper, which was originally called The Warm Jets. Their debut album was released on December 4, 2007 on ACME Records http://acmerecords.net/badchopper/index.htm.Personal
C.J. was married to Marky RamoneMarky Ramone
Marky Ramone is an American musician. He is best known for being the drummer for the Ramones, but has also played in other notable bands like Dust, Wayne County and the Backstreet Boys, Richard Hell & The Voidoids, and the Misfits.Although he is not the original drummer , Marky is the only living...
's niece, Chessa, with whom he has two children. He is now married to attorney Denise Barton with whom he has one daughter, Mia Dove. C. J. is working with Daniel Rey and drummer Michael Stamberg to finish a new solo album.
C.J. frequently speaks on the subject of autism because his son Liam has the condition.
Discography with The Ramones
- Loco LiveLoco LiveLoco Live is a live album by American punk band the Ramones.There are two different versions of Loco Live available. The 1991 Chrysalis version contains 33 songs, including "Too Tough to Die", "Don't Bust My Chops", "Palisades Park", and "Love Kills"...
(1991) - Mondo BizarroMondo BizarroMondo Bizarro is the twelfth studio album by the American punk band the Ramones, released in 1992 . It featured their new bassist, Christopher Joseph Ward , who replaced departed member Dee Dee Ramone. Mondo Bizarro was the group’s first studio album in three years...
(1992) - Acid EatersAcid EatersAcid Eaters is the thirteenth studio album by the American punk band The Ramones.Recorded in 1993 , towards the end of the Ramones' career, the album is often set apart from other Ramones releases in that it is entirely composed of covers...
(1993) - ¡Adios Amigos!¡Adios Amigos!¡Adiós Amigos! is the fourteenth and final studio album by the American punk rock band the Ramones. It was released on July 18, 1995 through Radioactive Records...
(1995) - Greatest Hits LiveGreatest Hits Live (Ramones album)Greatest Hits Live is a live album by the punk rock band the Ramones. It was recorded at The Academy in New York City on February 29, 1996....
(1996) - We're Outta Here! (1997)