The Ramones were a US rock group that formed in 1974 in New York. Often said to be the premiere punk rock band, the Ramones rose above limited commercial success to become cult heroes and a major influence on the punk rock movement both in the US and the UK. In fact, The Clash and the Sex Pistols were fans.
The Ramones inspired such other acts as Metallica, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and numerous others. Over the years the line-up included: Dee Dee Ramone (vocals, rhythm guitar, and bass), Johnny Ramone (guitar), Joey Ramone (vocals, drums), Tommy Ramone (percussion), Marky Ramone (drums), Richie Ramone (drums, vocals) Elvis Ramone (percussion) and C.J. Ramone (bass guitar, vocals). All the members took on the pseudonymous surname “Ramone” even though they were not relatives. Dee Dee was the first to suggest using the surname Ramone—Ramon with an “e” added-- after hearing that The Beatles’ Paul McCartney would often check into hotels as "Paul Ramon" and had used the moniker while recording with The Steve Miller Band.
They released 15 albums on 5 different labels although the only one to go gold in America was the compilation Ramones Mania. They appeared in the movie Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (and on the accompanying soundtrack with such artists as Alice Cooper and Brian Eno), played thousands of gigs and toured almost continuously for more than twenty years. Their original style continued through the years as they rocked through songs such as the motion picture theme “Pet Sematary”, “California Sun” and “Blitzkrieg Bop”.
After appearing at the 1996 Lollapalooza music festival the band played a farewell show and disbanded. This is the brief story of but one of the founding members, Dee Dee Ramone. Dee Dee Ramone was born Douglas Glenn Colvin on September 18, 1951.
After moving to New York in his late teens, “Dee Dee”/Colvin would join the boys soon to be known as Johnny and Joey to form their own band. Dee Dee, the band’s original lead singer, would eventually be replaced by then-drummer Joey because Dee Dee would find it difficult to play bass and sing lead simultaneously and because he couldn’t sing lead for longer than a few songs as his voice would shred. (Bassist Dee Dee/Colvin would, however, continue to count off each tune's tempo with his signature rapid-fire shout of "1-2-3-4!")
Dee Dee was the group’s most prolific songwriter. He wrote many of the band’s biggest tunes such as “Commando”, “53rd and 3rd” (about his personal experience as a male prostitute), “Poison Heart”, "Rockaway Beach" and "Glad to See You Go" (written about his then-girlfriend, a drug-using stripper with a volatile personality). He would quit the band in 1989 thus marking the end of an era if not a style.
He struck out on an ill-fated, short, solo career in rap and hip hop music under the stage name Dee Dee King. He quickly returned to his punk rock roots releasing a trio of solo CDs which included new songs--many later recorded by the Ramones. He went on tour doing new tunes and Ramones covers. He also continued to write new material for The Ramones.
Their last studio disc, Adios Amigos, contained several of his solo numbers such as "I'm Makin' Monsters for My Friends" and "It's Not for Me to Know" from his CD I Hate Freaks Like You. In 1996 when the group officially retired Dee Dee became a painter and the author of two punk rock-related books.
Dee Dee had been a substance abuser and heroin addict for most of his adult life. In fact, he started using drugs as a teenager. In the early 1990s it seemed as if he was clean and sober but would begin using heroin again sometime later.
He was discovered in his Los Angeles home with various drug paraphernalia, including a syringe, scattered about his kitchen. It was ruled that Dee Dee died from an accidental heroin overdose on June 5, 2002. Douglas “Dee Dee Ramone” Colvin was buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California.
His headstone includes the Ramones symbol with the line: “I feel so safe flying on a ray on the highest trails above" from his tune "Highest Trails Above" off the Ramones' Subterranean Jungle disc. The stone’s base has the line: "O.K . . . . I gotta go now." People interested in visiting his grave must turn immediately left upon entering the cemetery and stop in front of the Grass mausoleum on the right at the next intersection. Dee Dee Ramone is buried in front of a tree just right of the mausoleum.
The Ramones’ original bass player may be dead and gone but their prototype punk rock sound may never reach the end.
My name is Phoenix and . . . that’s the bottom line.
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