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Johnny Ramone

Johnny Ramone
Johnny Ramone 1983 c.jpg
Johnny Ramone playing at The Eagle Hippadrome in 1983
Background information
Birth name John William Cummings
Also known as Johnny Ramone
Born (1948-10-08)October 8, 1948
Queens, New York, U.S.
Died September 15, 2004(2004-09-15) (aged 55)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres Punk rock
Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter, guitarist
Instruments Guitar
Years active 1965–2004
Labels Sire, Radioactive, Chrysalis
Associated acts Ramones
Website johnnyramone.com
Notable instruments
Mosrite
Rickenbacker

John William Cummings (October 8, 1948 – September 15, 2004), known professionally as Johnny Ramone, was an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being the lead guitarist for the punk rock band the Ramones. He was a founding member of the band, and remained a member throughout the band's entire career. He died from prostate cancer on September 15, 2004.

In 2003, he appeared on Time's "10 Greatest Electric-Guitar Players". That same year, he was number 16 on the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" list in Rolling Stone.

John William Cummings was born in Queens on October 8, 1948. He was the only child of a construction worker, of Irish descent. He was raised in the Forest Hills, Queens neighborhood of New York City, where he grew up absorbing rock music. As a teenager, Johnny played in a band called the Tangerine Puppets alongside future Ramones drummer Tamás Erdélyi (better known as Tommy Ramone). As a teenager, he was known as a "greaser," though he was later described as a tie-dye-wearing Stooges fan. He was a lifelong New York Yankees fan. He also worked as a plumber with his father before the Ramones became successful, and at one point attended military school and briefly attended college in Florida.

He met future bandmate Douglas Colvin, later to become Dee Dee Ramone, in the early 1970s while delivering dry cleaning. They would eat lunch together and discuss their mutual love of bands like the Stooges and MC5. Together they went to Manny's Music in New York City in January 1974, where Johnny bought a used blue Mosrite Ventures II for just over $54. On the same trip, Dee Dee bought a Danelectro bass. They collaborated with future bandmate Jeffrey Hyman, later to become Joey Ramone, to form the Ramones with Richie Stern on bass. Stern left after a few rehearsals. Tommy joined the Ramones in the summer of that year, after public auditions failed to produce a satisfactory drummer.


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