Joey Ramone died five years ago today. The Ramones may not have actually saved my life, but they sure made it a lot better. I already loved music when I first heard them in 1981, but I don't think I would've started writing about music and playing music without the Ramones. They never sold tons of records, but they changed more lives than a thousand Peter Framptons.It was particularly sad Joey didn't live to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Out of all the Ramones, I think it would've mattered to him the most.
I knew nothing about Joey Ramone as a person, but I feel like he must've been a fellow traveler to some degree. Anyone who once called the Banana Splits one of the best bands ever knew what the hell he was talking about.
Posts
1 comment:
The day Joey died was the beginning of the end. It was soon to be followed by Joe Strummer's sudden death and two more of the Ramones.
I finally felt old.My heroes that didn't seem all that old started passing on.
I feel fortunate to have caught the Ramones at the Back Room in the late-eighties. (I think, many substances have altered my ability to put things in the proper time frame.)It was the original line-up, Dee Dee was there, great fucking show. Sat on the rail that used to form the pit in front of the stage and was maybe two feet from the bad. Greatest hour and ten minutes of my life.
Anyway, the Ramones and the Clash were, and still are, just huge to me. Indispensible.
Post a Comment