Johnny Ramone
Encyclopedia
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. He died from prostate cancer
on September 15, 2004.
In 2003, he appeared as #16 on the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" list in Rolling Stone
and on Time
s "10 Greatest Electric-Guitar Players."
as the only child of a construction worker of Irish descent. He was raised in the Forest Hills, Queens
neighborhood of New York City
, where he grew up absorbing rock music. As a teenager, Johnny played in a band called the Tangerine Puppets alongside future Ramones' drummer Tamás Erdélyi (better known as Tommy Ramone
). As a teenager, he was known as a "greaser," though he was later described as a tie-dye
-wearing Stooges
' fan. He was a lifelong New York Yankees
' fan. He also worked as a plumber with his father before the Ramones
became successful, and at one point attended military school
and briefly attended college in Florida
.
He met future bandmate Douglas Colvin, later to become Dee Dee Ramone
, in the early 1970s while delivering dry cleaning. They would eat lunch together and discuss their mutual love of bands like the Stooges
and MC5
. Together they went to Manny's Guitar Emporium in New York City
in January 1974, where Johnny bought a used blue Mosrite
Ventures II for $54 and change. On the same trip, Dee Dee bought a Danelectro
bass. They collaborated with future bandmate Jeffry Hyman, later to become Joey Ramone
and formed the Ramones, with the almost-unknown Richie Stern on bass, who left after a few rehearsals. Tommy Erdelyi, later Tommy Ramone
joined the band in the summer of that year, after public auditions failed to produce a satisfactory drummer. Although Johnny Ramone wasn't as prolific a songwriter as his bandmates, particularly Dee Dee Ramone, his guitar style was a key part of the Ramones' sound and would become a major punk rock influence.
Johnny was responsible for initiating one of the major sources of animosity within the band when he began dating and later married Joey's ex-girlfriend. Allegedly, this incident prompted Joey to write the song "The KKK Took My Baby Away
", although it has been speculated that the song was actually written before the founding of the Ramones in 1974. Though the band remained together for years after this incident, relations between the two remained cold and verbal communication was almost non-existent between the two. Years later, when Joey was in the hospital dying of cancer
, Johnny refused to telephone him. He later discussed this incident in the film End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones
, saying an attempt at such a reunion would have been futile. He did add that he was depressed
for a week after Joey's death, and when pressed, acknowledged that this was because of the bond forged by the band. In their road manager Monte Melnick's book about his time with the Ramones, Johnny is quoted as having said "I'm not doing anything without him. I felt that was it. He was my partner. Me and him. I miss that."
Alongside his music career, Johnny appeared in nearly a dozen movies (including Rock 'n' Roll High School
) and documentaries. He also made television appearances on such shows as The Simpsons
(1F01 "Rosebud
", 1993) and Space Ghost Coast to Coast
(Episode 5 "Bobcat").
. Johnny made his political affiliation known to the world in 2002, when the Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
. After thanking all who made the honor possible—clad in his trademark T-shirt, ripped blue jeans and leather jacket—he said "God bless President Bush
, and God bless America
. He said in an interview, when questioned on his conservatism, "I think Ronald Reagan
was the best President of my lifetime." This was evident in 1985 when the band released the UK
single "Bonzo Goes To Bitburg"; Johnny pressed for a name change, finding the title insulting to Reagan, and the song was retitled on American releases as "My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)
" after a line from the song's chorus. In this same interview he claimed that "Punk is right wing".
Johnny is quoted by The Observer
as saying: "People drift towards liberalism
at a young age, and I always hope they change when they see how the world really is."
. Johnny is quoted as saying: "My father would get on these tangents about how he never missed a day's work. I broke my big toe the day I had to go pitch a Little League game and he's going, 'What are you - a baby? What did I do, raise a baby? You go play.' And even though my toe was broken I had to go pitch the game anyway. It was terrible. It would always be like that. I'm glad he raised me like that but it would always be, 'What are you - sick? You're not sick. What did I raise - a baby? I never missed a day's work in my life.' Then I went to military school, and in military school you couldn't call in sick."
Further, Johnny's early adulthood was marked with bouts of delinquency to which he attested were inexplicable at the time, "I didn't become a delinquent until I got out of high school
. I had a two-year run. I'd go out and hit kids and take their money and rob everybody's pocketbooks. Just being bad every minute of the day. It was terrible. I don't know what my problem was. Things that were funny to me at the time were horrible. If I found a television
set sitting in the garbage, I'd take it up to the rooftop, watch for someone walking down the block and drop it in front of them on the sidewalk. It was funny watching them see a TV set come crashing down 30 feet in front of them. To me it was hysterical, but it was also a mean and terrible thing to do. I also found a way of stopping the elevator. I could open up the door and stop the elevator. I would wait for an old lady to get in and stop the elevator. They'd be yelling and pushing the alarm, and I would keep them there. At about 20 years old, I stopped drinking and doing drugs, got a job and tried to be normal."
home at age 55 after a five-year battle with prostate cancer
. Many of his friends and musical contemporaries came to pay their respects. After his death, his remains were cremated. A cenotaph
was built in Hollywood Forever Cemetery
, near the gravesite of former bandmate Dee Dee Ramone
, who died of a heroin overdose in 2002.
The Wicker Man
was dedicated to Johnny Ramone's memory, as he was a close friend of the film's producer and star, Nicolas Cage
. The lyrics for Pearl Jam
's 2006 single "Life Wasted
" were written by Eddie Vedder
in honor of Cummings while driving home from his funeral. They also made their first video in 8 years for this song.
Rolling Stone
magazine ranked Johnny Ramone 16th on their list of the Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
In 2009, Time
magazine included Johnny Ramone on its list of the "10 Best Electric Guitarists of All Time".
An annual Johnny Ramone Memorial is held every October in Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood, California. The event which has taken place 5 years now, has included appearances by surviving band members Tommy and C.J. Ramone. Many other celebrity guests regularly attend.
Lisa Marie Presley
recorded a cover of the Ramones' song, "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" on her 2005 album Now What
. She stated in the liner notes of the CD that: "Five years ago, Johnny Ramone picked me to sing Here Today, Gone Tomorrow. He wanted me to sing it on a Ramones tribute record where many of his friends and other artists were covering his songs. Johnny was one of my best friends, and I promised him before he passed away that I would include that song on my record. He was very sick but wanted to play guitar on it as long as he was sitting down. Unfortunately, while we were recording the basic track, he died."
Green Day
's song "Wake Me Up When September Ends
" is dedicated to the memory of Johnny Ramone, though the song was not written about him.
In August 2011, Swedish author Bengt Ohlsson published "Rekviem för John Cummings", a novel about Johnny's last years. The book was shortlisted for the August
prize, Sweden's top literary award.
bands such as Iron Maiden
. His style has also been an influence on many alternative rock
bands, as well as on thrash metal
performers such as Kirk Hammett
of Metallica
and Dave Mustaine
of Megadeth
. Guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert
has cited Johnny Ramone as one of his influences.
Johnny was almost exclusively a rhythm guitar
ist, as exemplified by live recordings. Johnny's simple lead guitar
parts can be heard on a handful of Ramones' songs (including "Time Has Come Today
", "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue", and "California Sun
"), but generally the infrequent guitar solos on the group's studio albums were overdubbed by Tommy Ramone, Ed Stasium
, Daniel Rey
, Walter Lure and other uncredited guests.
- May 1977
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, best known for being the guitarist for the 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...
band the 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...
. He was a founding member of the band, and remained a member throughout the band's entire career. He died from prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
on September 15, 2004.
In 2003, he appeared as #16 on the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" list in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
and on Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
s "10 Greatest Electric-Guitar Players."
Career
Johnny Ramone was born John Cummings on Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
as the only child of a construction worker of Irish descent. He was raised in the Forest Hills, Queens
Forest Hills, Queens
Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States.-Neighborhood:The neighborhood is home to upper-middle class residents, of whom the wealthier residents often live in the neighborhood's Forest Hills Gardens area...
neighborhood of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he grew up absorbing rock music. As a teenager, Johnny played in a band called the Tangerine Puppets alongside future Ramones' drummer Tamás Erdélyi (better known as Tommy Ramone
Tommy Ramone
Tommy Ramone, also known as Thomas Erdelyi , is a Hungarian American record producer and musician...
). As a teenager, he was known as a "greaser," though he was later described as a tie-dye
Tie-dye
Tie-dye is a process of resist dyeing textiles or clothing which is made from knit or woven fabric, usually cotton; typically using bright colors. It is a modern version of traditional dyeing methods used in many cultures throughout the world. "Tie-dye" can also describe the resulting pattern or an...
-wearing Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
' fan. He was a lifelong New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
' fan. He also worked as a plumber with his father before the 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...
became successful, and at one point attended military school
Military academy
A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps of the army, the navy, air force or coast guard, which normally provides education in a service environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned.Three...
and briefly attended college in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
He met future bandmate Douglas Colvin, later to become 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....
, in the early 1970s while delivering dry cleaning. They would eat lunch together and discuss their mutual love of bands like the Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
and MC5
MC5
The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson...
. Together they went to Manny's Guitar Emporium in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in January 1974, where Johnny bought a used blue Mosrite
Mosrite
Mosrite is an American guitar manufacturing company, based in Bakersfield, California, from the late 1950s to the early 1990s. Founded by Semie Moseley, Mosrite guitars were played by many rock and roll and country artists....
Ventures II for $54 and change. On the same trip, Dee Dee bought a Danelectro
Danelectro
Danelectro is an American manufacturer of musical instruments and accessories, specializing in rock instruments such as guitars, bass guitars, amplifiers and effects units.-History:...
bass. They collaborated with future bandmate Jeffry Hyman, later to become Joey Ramone
Joey Ramone
Joey Ramone was an American vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist in the punk rock band the Ramones. Joey Ramone's image, voice and tenure as frontman of the Ramones made him a countercultural icon.-Early life:Joey Ramone was born Jeffry Hyman to parents Noel and Charlotte Hyman...
and formed the Ramones, with the almost-unknown Richie Stern on bass, who left after a few rehearsals. Tommy Erdelyi, later Tommy Ramone
Tommy Ramone
Tommy Ramone, also known as Thomas Erdelyi , is a Hungarian American record producer and musician...
joined the band in the summer of that year, after public auditions failed to produce a satisfactory drummer. Although Johnny Ramone wasn't as prolific a songwriter as his bandmates, particularly Dee Dee Ramone, his guitar style was a key part of the Ramones' sound and would become a major punk rock influence.
Johnny was responsible for initiating one of the major sources of animosity within the band when he began dating and later married Joey's ex-girlfriend. Allegedly, this incident prompted Joey to write the song "The KKK Took My Baby Away
The KKK Took My Baby Away
"The KKK Took My Baby Away" is a song written by Joey Ramone. It appears on the Ramones' 1981 album Pleasant Dreams.It has been speculated that Joey wrote the song as a reference to Johnny Ramone "stealing" away his girlfriend Linda, though Joey's brother Mickey Leigh has said that the song was...
", although it has been speculated that the song was actually written before the founding of the Ramones in 1974. Though the band remained together for years after this incident, relations between the two remained cold and verbal communication was almost non-existent between the two. Years later, when Joey was in the hospital dying of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, Johnny refused to telephone him. He later discussed this incident in the film End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones
End 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...
, saying an attempt at such a reunion would have been futile. He did add that he was depressed
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
for a week after Joey's death, and when pressed, acknowledged that this was because of the bond forged by the band. In their road manager Monte Melnick's book about his time with the Ramones, Johnny is quoted as having said "I'm not doing anything without him. I felt that was it. He was my partner. Me and him. I miss that."
Alongside his music career, Johnny appeared in nearly a dozen movies (including Rock 'n' Roll High School
Rock 'n' Roll High School
Rock 'n' Roll High School is a 1979 musical comedy film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Allan Arkush, and featuring the Ramones.The film starred P. J. Soles, Vince Van Patten, and Clint Howard...
) and documentaries. He also made television appearances on such shows as The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
(1F01 "Rosebud
Rosebud (The Simpsons)
"Rosebud" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 21, 1993. The episode begins by showing how on the eve of his birthday, Mr. Burns starts to miss his childhood teddy bear Bobo...
", 1993) and Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Space Ghost Coast to Coast is an American animated parody talk show hosted by the 60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. The show premiered on April 15, 1994 on Cartoon Network...
(Episode 5 "Bobcat").
Politics
Johnny was known within the punk rock community as one of the few conservatives, and was a staunch supporter of the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. Johnny made his political affiliation known to the world in 2002, 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,...
. After thanking all who made the honor possible—clad in his trademark T-shirt, ripped blue jeans and leather jacket—he said "God bless President Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, and God bless America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He said in an interview, when questioned on his conservatism, "I think Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
was the best President of my lifetime." This was evident in 1985 when the band released the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
single "Bonzo Goes To Bitburg"; Johnny pressed for a name change, finding the title insulting to Reagan, and the song was retitled on American releases as "My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)
My Brain is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)
"Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" is a song by American punk rock band the Ramones. Initially issued as a single in Great Britain by Beggars Banquet Records in 1985, it did not receive an American single release. An emotionally charged protest of the visit by U.S. president Ronald Reagan to a German cemetery...
" after a line from the song's chorus. In this same interview he claimed that "Punk is right wing".
Johnny is quoted by The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
as saying: "People drift towards liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
at a young age, and I always hope they change when they see how the world really is."
Personal life
As noted in tour manager Monte Melnick's book "On the Road with The Ramones," Johnny's father was a strict disciplinarianDiscipline
In its original sense, discipline is referred to systematic instruction given to disciples to train them as students in a craft or trade, or to follow a particular code of conduct or "order". Often, the phrase "to discipline" carries a negative connotation. This is because enforcement of order –...
. Johnny is quoted as saying: "My father would get on these tangents about how he never missed a day's work. I broke my big toe the day I had to go pitch a Little League game and he's going, 'What are you - a baby? What did I do, raise a baby? You go play.' And even though my toe was broken I had to go pitch the game anyway. It was terrible. It would always be like that. I'm glad he raised me like that but it would always be, 'What are you - sick? You're not sick. What did I raise - a baby? I never missed a day's work in my life.' Then I went to military school, and in military school you couldn't call in sick."
Further, Johnny's early adulthood was marked with bouts of delinquency to which he attested were inexplicable at the time, "I didn't become a delinquent until I got out of high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. I had a two-year run. I'd go out and hit kids and take their money and rob everybody's pocketbooks. Just being bad every minute of the day. It was terrible. I don't know what my problem was. Things that were funny to me at the time were horrible. If I found a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
set sitting in the garbage, I'd take it up to the rooftop, watch for someone walking down the block and drop it in front of them on the sidewalk. It was funny watching them see a TV set come crashing down 30 feet in front of them. To me it was hysterical, but it was also a mean and terrible thing to do. I also found a way of stopping the elevator. I could open up the door and stop the elevator. I would wait for an old lady to get in and stop the elevator. They'd be yelling and pushing the alarm, and I would keep them there. At about 20 years old, I stopped drinking and doing drugs, got a job and tried to be normal."
Death
On September 15, 2004, Johnny Ramone died in his Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
home at age 55 after a five-year battle with prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
. Many of his friends and musical contemporaries came to pay their respects. After his death, his remains were cremated. A cenotaph
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
was built in Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery, originally called Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery, is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles, California. It is located at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard in the Hollywood...
, near the gravesite of former bandmate 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....
, who died of a heroin overdose in 2002.
Posthumous honors
In 2006, the remake of the horror filmHorror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
The Wicker Man
The Wicker Man (2006 film)
The Wicker Man is a 2006 American remake of the 1973 British film of the same title. It was written and directed by Neil LaBute, based on a screenplay by Anthony Shaffer, and stars Nicolas Cage and Ellen Burstyn....
was dedicated to Johnny Ramone's memory, as he was a close friend of the film's producer and star, Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
. The lyrics for Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
's 2006 single "Life Wasted
Life Wasted
"Life Wasted" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Stone Gossard, "Life Wasted" was released on August 28, 2006 as the second single from the band's eighth studio album, Pearl Jam . The song peaked at number...
" were written by Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...
in honor of Cummings while driving home from his funeral. They also made their first video in 8 years for this song.
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine ranked Johnny Ramone 16th on their list of the Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
In 2009, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine included Johnny Ramone on its list of the "10 Best Electric Guitarists of All Time".
An annual Johnny Ramone Memorial is held every October in Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood, California. The event which has taken place 5 years now, has included appearances by surviving band members Tommy and C.J. Ramone. Many other celebrity guests regularly attend.
Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa Marie Presley is an American singer and songwriter, also known as the "Princess of Rock and Roll". She is the only child of Elvis Presley, and daughter of Priscilla Presley.-Early life:...
recorded a cover of the Ramones' song, "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" on her 2005 album Now What
Now What
Now What is the second album from American singer/songwriter Lisa Marie Presley. It was released on April 5, 2005 in the United States and Canada, and is available in both unedited and edited versions. Singles from the album are Dirty Laundry and Idiot. As of November 2, 2005, the album has...
. She stated in the liner notes of the CD that: "Five years ago, Johnny Ramone picked me to sing Here Today, Gone Tomorrow. He wanted me to sing it on a Ramones tribute record where many of his friends and other artists were covering his songs. Johnny was one of my best friends, and I promised him before he passed away that I would include that song on my record. He was very sick but wanted to play guitar on it as long as he was sitting down. Unfortunately, while we were recording the basic track, he died."
Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
's song "Wake Me Up When September Ends
Wake Me Up When September Ends
"Wake Me Up When September Ends" is a song by American rock band Green Day released as the fourth single from their seventh album, American Idiot. The single peaked at number six in the United States, becoming Green Day's second Top 10 single. It also peaked at number eight in Canada and the UK,...
" is dedicated to the memory of Johnny Ramone, though the song was not written about him.
In August 2011, Swedish author Bengt Ohlsson published "Rekviem för John Cummings", a novel about Johnny's last years. The book was shortlisted for the August
August
August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with a length of 31 days.This month was originally named Sextilis in Latin, because it was the sixth month in the original ten-month Roman calendar under Romulus in 753 BC, when March was the first...
prize, Sweden's top literary award.
Guitar technique
Johnny was known for his fast, high-energy playing style that consisted of rapid, down-stroked barre chords, often in a simple I-IV-V progression. Called "buzzsaw", this technique was highly influential on early punk rock guitarists. This technique was also very influential on New Wave Of British Heavy MetalNew Wave of British Heavy Metal
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s, in Britain, and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. The movement developed as a reaction in part to the decline of early heavy metal bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black...
bands such as Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
. His style has also been an influence on many alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
bands, as well as on thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
performers such as Kirk Hammett
Kirk Hammett
Kirk Lee Hammett is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the heavy metal band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, Hammett was ranked 11th on Rolling Stones list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
of Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
and Dave Mustaine
Dave Mustaine
David Scott "Dave" Mustaine is the founder, main songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Megadeth. Prior to Megadeth, Mustaine was the first lead guitarist and a co-songwriter of the heavy metal band Metallica until he was fired from the band in 1983. In 2009, he...
of Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
. Guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert
Paul Gilbert
Paul Brandon Gilbert is an American guitarist. He is well known for his technical guitar work with Racer X and Mr...
has cited Johnny Ramone as one of his influences.
Johnny was almost exclusively a rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
ist, as exemplified by live recordings. Johnny's simple lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
parts can be heard on a handful of Ramones' songs (including "Time Has Come Today
Time Has Come Today
"Time Has Come Today" is a song recorded by The Chambers Brothers in 1966. It was then released on album in November 1967, and it spent five weeks at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the fall of 1968....
", "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue", and "California Sun
California Sun
"California Sun", is a song credited to Henry Glover and Morris Levy. Originally recorded by 35-year-old New Orleans-born singer-songwriter Joe Jones, and released by EMI in the winter of 1961, it peaked at #89 on the charts.-Cover versions:...
"), but generally the infrequent guitar solos on the group's studio albums were overdubbed by Tommy Ramone, Ed Stasium
Ed Stasium
Ed Stasium is an American record producer and engineer who has worked on albums by The Ramones, Talking Heads, The Smithereens and Living Colour.- History :Stasium first surfaced in 1970 fronting the band Brandywine, appearing on their sole LP Aged....
, Daniel Rey
Daniel Rey
Daniel Rey is an American musician, music producer and songwriter from New York City best known for his work with the Ramones....
, Walter Lure and other uncredited guests.
Musical equipment
- Mosrite - Blue Ventures II - Johnny's first guitar. Bought in 1974, stolen in 1977.
- Mosrite - White Ventures II - Bought in 1977 to replace the stolen blue Mosrite. Owned until the band disbanded in 1996 - later sold to producer Daniel Rey.
- Mosrite - Sunburst Ventures II - Bought in the mid-1970s. Ended up in a music store along with a pair of Johnny's jeans.
- Mosrite - Blue Ventures II - Mint condition never played on stage saved as a backup guitar, traded to Johnny in 1988. Eventually autographed and sold to a band roadie who later consigned it for sale at Northern Guitars in Queens, NY. Subsequently purchased by a fan of the band in 2000. Currently resides in New Jersey.
- Mosrite - Red Ventures I/V1 - owned by T.bags of Deadones usa
- Mosrite - Brown Ventures II - Johnny's main second guitar from 1984–1989, later painted gold sparkle.
- Mosrite - White 1 pickup - Made by a friend of the band and used as backup during live shows.
- Mosrite - Sunburst 1 pickup - Used in the video for "Time Has Come Today."
- Mosrite - White Ventures (2) - custom-made for Johnny by Mosrite founder/owner Semie Moseley in the late 1980s.
- Rickenbacker - 450 - Used on the Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, later stolen.
- Rickenbacker - Fireglo 450 - Later traded for a MosriteMosriteMosrite is an American guitar manufacturing company, based in Bakersfield, California, from the late 1950s to the early 1990s. Founded by Semie Moseley, Mosrite guitars were played by many rock and roll and country artists....
. - Fender - White 1950s Stratocaster - Owned briefly by Johnny before stolen.
- Hamer - White custom endorsement guitar - Johnny owned two. One was traded in the 1980s for a brown Mosrite which became a backup guitar.
- Boss - TU-12 Chromatic Tuner
- Marshall - JMP Super Lead 100W Head
- Marshall - JCM 800 100W Lead Series Head
Quotations
NMENME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
- May 1977