Johnny Ramone dies from cancer
I saw the Ramones many times. They were the first punk band y’know, as they had three albums out by the time the Sex Pistols released their first LP. They influenced countless bands. Get their double CD on Rhino, and you’ll appreciate just how ground breaking (and professional) they were.
Professional? Yeah! A friend’s punk band opened for them in New Orleans. He went to their dressing room expecting much debauchery and drugs and instead said they ran through their entire set on practice instuments in the dressing room before going onstage. Stone cold pros they were, and they did a total of 2,263 concerts, according to the Rhino CD.
Now Johnny has died, leaving Tommy as the sole remaining original member of one of the greatest punk bands ever.