Another one bites the dust.
Johnny Ramone, guitar player and one of the founding members ofthe punk rock band The Ramones, died in his sleep Sept. 15th afterbattling a five year struggle with prostate cancer. He was 55.
Johnny (real name John Cummings), is the third Ramone to passaway in three years, with lead singer Joey Ramone passing in 2001after battling lymphoma for seven years and original bass playerDee Dee Ramone dying of a drug overdose in 2002. Only formerdrummer Tommy Ramone remains as the last founding member alive.
The Ramones were part of a handful of New York bands that cameout in the mid 70's and helped shape what would be known as punkrock. They thrived on the principles of fast and simple. They keptthe idea simple, the music fast and always played with a degree ofattitude. This approach to playing gave the critics all theymaterial they needed and their music were deemed trite andmindless. Honestly though, this was just what rock music needed: agood kick in the ass.
At the time, the idea of going to a rock concert was cramminginto the nosebleed seats of an arena or stadium to see a band whosemusicians were backstage pouring wax on their chests while planningout a double album rock opera about teenagers in post apocalypticAmerica and will be performed on ice.
Formed out of the basic elements of American blues and speededup for kids to dance to, rock n roll was at one time truly arelease for the teenagers of the time. This was music that unifiedyouth, something they could call their own.
From the classic characters in Chuck Berry tunes to the shakypelvis of Elvis, from the bad boy Rolling Stones to the moreintrospective musical minds of The Beatles, from the raw energy ofJimi Hendrix to the more experimental expressions of The VelvetUnderground, rock music had always maintained a rebellious spirit.The Ramones truly managed to recapture that spirit all the whilenot succumbing to self indulgence like so many bands of that timedid.
At the time before his death, Johnny was enjoying the retiredlife in Los Angeles with his wife Linda and reportedly working onhis memoirs. He was known as the Ramone with a good business sense,which went along way especially since The Ramones never received agreat deal of commercial or mainstream success in their heyday.
Johnny gave the average person a reason to pick up a guitaragain. A dock worker before joining The Ramones, Johnny simply didwhat he knew how to do. Sure, he might not have been technically asgood as other guitar players of the time such as Jimmy Page or EricClapton, but he played with just as much heart and passion. Thosewho dare call The Ramones mindless need only look at the inventivenotions and speed at which Johnny played guitar. It doesn't takemuch to be good at playing power chords but Johnny wasn't justgood. He was the master.
Sophomore Brandon Gillespie, business finance major, said TheRamones were one of the best and most influential bands rock musicproduced.
"From The Clash to Avril Lavigne, The Ramones have influencedmany artists since their time," Gillespie said. "They're one of thefirst bands to really get me into music."
