Tommy Ramone, the last living original member of the Ramones, passed away today (July 11th).
And as a bonus: first description of the Ramones, written by Tommy in 1975. From Letters of Note on Facebook.
The four original members, starting in 1974:
Dee Dee Ramone: Sept, 18, 1951-June 5, 2002 (heroine overdose) Joey Ramone: May 19, 1951 – April 15, 2001 (lymphoma) Johnny Ramone: October 8, 1948 – September 15, 2004 (prostate cancer) Tommy Ramone: January 29, 1952 — July 11, 2014 (cancer of the bile duct)
Other remaining members performing with the band until it disbanded in 1996:
Marky Ramone: with the band from ’78-’83 and then ’87-’96. C.J. Ramone: with the band from ’89-’96.
Dr. James Rovira is higher education professional with twenty years experience in the field in teaching, administration, and advising roles. He is also an interdisciplinary scholar and writer whose works include fiction, poetry, and scholarship exploring the intersections of literature and philosophy, literature and psychology, literary theory, and music and literature.. His books include Women in Rock, Women in Romanticism (Routledge, 2023); David Bowie and Romanticism (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022); Writing for College and Beyond (a first-year composition textbook (Lulu 2019)); Reading as Democracy in Crisis: Interpretation, Theory, History (Lexington Books 2019); Rock and Romanticism: Blake, Wordsworth, and Rock from Dylan to U2 (Lexington Books, 2018); Rock and Romanticism: Post-Punk, Goth, and Metal as Dark Romanticisms (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018); and Blake and Kierkegaard: Creation and Anxiety (Continuum/Bloomsbury, 2010). See his website at jamesrovira.com for details.
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3 thoughts on “Last Original Member of the Ramones Dies”
Tommy was my dearest and oldest friend.
We grew up together in Forest Hills Queens New York.
I went to Stephen A Halsey Jr High and Forest Hills High school with him.
He got me to pick up the bass guitar and enter into the crazy world of rock music.
We played in several bands together (Triad & Butch) here in NYC over the late 60’s and early 70’s.
We built and managed Performance Studios in NYC, a recording/rehearsal studio the Ramones started in. I worked with him when he in the Ramones and well after he left.
He had an advanced musical foresight, well ahead of the times in forming and being part of the Ramones. He was a great musician on the guitar, then the drums, later on the mandolin, banjo, fiddle and many more instruments. His musical expanse bridged from Punk to Indie Bluegrass.
He will be
I mourn the passing of the last of the original Ramones, my friend and a true musical visionary.
Thank so much for posting here and for your personal comments. I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s a loss for all of us, but all the more for his good friends.
The Philosophy of Contemporary Song 
Tommy was my dearest and oldest friend.
We grew up together in Forest Hills Queens New York.
I went to Stephen A Halsey Jr High and Forest Hills High school with him.
He got me to pick up the bass guitar and enter into the crazy world of rock music.
We played in several bands together (Triad & Butch) here in NYC over the late 60’s and early 70’s.
We built and managed Performance Studios in NYC, a recording/rehearsal studio the Ramones started in. I worked with him when he in the Ramones and well after he left.
He had an advanced musical foresight, well ahead of the times in forming and being part of the Ramones. He was a great musician on the guitar, then the drums, later on the mandolin, banjo, fiddle and many more instruments. His musical expanse bridged from Punk to Indie Bluegrass.
He will be
I mourn the passing of the last of the original Ramones, my friend and a true musical visionary.
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Thank so much for posting here and for your personal comments. I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s a loss for all of us, but all the more for his good friends.
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