Famous
for short, fast and loud rock songs like "Beat on the
Brat" and "I Wanna Be Sedated," The Ramones
were the first punk band in the 1970s. They started in 1974,
with all band members taking the surname Ramone. The original
line-up included: vocalist Joey (b.
Jeff Hyman, 19 May 1951); guitarist Johnny
(b. John Cummings, 8 October 1951); bassist Dee
Dee (b. Douglas Colvin, 18 September 1952); and drummer
Tommy (Tom Erdelyi, b. 29 January
1952). They performed in New York City nightclubs along with
other legendary bands such as Blondie, The Talking Heads and
Television, and were among the first to get a record contract.
Their eponymous debut album, released in 1976, is considered
a classic of the punk genre and set the standard of simple
pop songs delivered with raw energy. Although The Ramones
never achieved mainstream financial success, they released
21 live and studio albums, had a devoted fan base and influenced
countless bands, from The Clash and The Sex Pistols to Green
Day and The Offspring.
In 1978 drummer Tommy was replaced by Marky
(b. Marc Bell, 15 July 1956), who in 1983 was replaced by
Richie (b. Richard Reinhardt, 11
August 1957), but returned to the band in 1987. Bassist Dee
Dee left the band in 1989 and was replaced by C.J.
(b. Christopher John Ward, 8 October 1965). The band officially
broke up in 1996. Joey died of cancer
in 2001, Dee Dee died of a drug
overdose in 2002 and Johnny died
of cancer in 2004. The
Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in 2002... The band's slogan, often chanted during concerts,
was "Gabba Gabba Hey" and came from their song "Pinhead.
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