Johnny Ramone is Dead

My Hero, Johnny Ramone is dead.

He picked up a guitar at 22, and helped change the way people looked at Rock and Roll.
As a founding member of the Ramones, the band that many people consider to be the first "Punk Rock" band, Johnny personified the rebel spirit. He embodied the rebellious look of the kid on the street with ripped jeans, white t-shirt, and leather jacket. He played his guitar with a ferocity and speed that defied the standard set of chords that made up many of the Ramones' songs... The truth of it is, that there has never been a punk like Johnny, and the reason is that even among the rebels, he didn't fit in. Johnny was Republican. And he wasn't just a little Republican, he was all the way... In an environment that was exceedingly liberal, he stood up for Reagan, Bush, and even Dubya Bush more recently. In the Ramones 2002 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction speech, Johnny stepped up to the microphone and said "God bless President Bush, and God bless America." Nobody in the rock and roll scene (except for Ted Nugent, who is another story entirely) would be caught dead saying that in 2002. But that was the way he was. He could, and often had to defend his views, and never backed down. One of my favorite pictures of Johnny is a photo of him and another punk icon, Johnny Rotten of the british punk band the Sex Pistols. Personally, I'm no fan of the Pistols, and Johnny Rotten was the standard punk. Rebellious of all things corporate and conservative... accepting all things liberal and offensive. The picture is of the two of them chatting around 8:30 in the morning and Johnny Rotten already has a beer in his hand and Johnny Ramone is standing there with a Pepsi. That's what made Johnny Ramone the true rebel. In a society where being a rebel means fitting the mold of a liberal underdog fighting "The Man", constantly declaring their individuality... as a group, and not seeing the contradiction... Johnny stood alone. On the stage he stood alone, feet planted firmly apart, head down... the very picture of determination and concentration. He took his music seriously, and he took his life seriously. Being a "pinhead" (The Ramones' word for punk) is not about the look, the attitude or even the music... It's about standing alone. It's about playing music for those who stand alone. Johnny Ramone, dead at 55. That only leaves Tommy as the only living original member of a band formed in 1974. The good do die young, I guess.


One last thought... I was able to talk to a friend of Johnny's earlier this year, and this guy called Johnny up and told him about me. About my similar political and musical views, and let him know of my admiration for him. Several weeks later, I received a package with a signed picture from the man himself. It said, "To Jim, a good American. Your pal, Johnny." To be honest, I couldn't even put a value on that photo now... I'm so grateful that even while dying of cancer, he took the time to send a fan he'd never met an autograph. People like that are rare.

Here's to a good American, Johnny Ramone.