Post by Grey on Sept 17, 2004 8:23:10 GMT -5
THE RAMONES' official website has posted the following statement in the wake of guitarist Johnny Ramone's death on Wednesday, September 15th.
"Our dear friend Johnny has died. May he rest in peace.
Johnny passed away on Wednesday, September 15 at 3:03 pm at his home in Los Angeles, California.
We are immensely saddened by this terrible loss. Johnny contributed in many ways to the success and greatness of the Ramones. But it was his strength and guidance, which made everybody else’s work come to an effective completion, that made him the group’s center of gravity, providing the balance and stability that kept the band, its support crew, and the entire Ramones organization together and in rocking shape. Johnny’s strength came from his character, rich in decency and honesty. His sense of fairness and his strategies always pointed towards the benefit of the Ramones and their fans as an inseparable unit.
In this moment of tragedy and darkness, let us find solace, and a cure to our pain, in the knowledge that Johnny accomplished to the limit his life’s aspirations, and in the process he made ours seem possible.
HAIL JOHNNY RAMONE!"
Ramone died following a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 55...
Los Angeles, CA (September 15, 2004) -- Johnny Ramone, co-founder and lead guitarist of seminal 70’s punk rock band The Ramones, died in his sleep this afternoon at 3:03 pm in his home in Los Angeles. Ramone had been fighting an ongoing five year battle with prostate cancer. At the time of his death, Ramone was surrounded by friends and family that included his wife Linda Cummings, Eddie and Jill McCormack, Rob and Sherrie Zombie, John Frusciante and Robert Carmine. Additional friends who gathered at the home included Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Lockwood, Pete Yorn, Vincent Gallo, Steve Jones, Talia Shire, Gia Coppola and Jackie Getty. Johnny Ramone, whose real name was Johnny Cummings, co-founded The Ramones in 1974 along with fellow bandmates Joey Ramone, DeeDee Ramone and Tommy Ramone, the only surviving member of the original band. The band, which gained critical acclaim and a huge following in New York’s underground music scene at the time performing at clubs such as CBGB’s, is widely credited for bringing the “punk rock” genre to the forefront. The Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Johnny Ramone is survived by his wife Linda Cummings and his mother Estelle Cummings. His body will be cremated during a private ceremony.
