Johnny Ramone - Died five years ago today - Sept. 15, 2004

Five years ago today, Johnny Ramone died after a long battle with prostrate cancer. From Wikipedia: "He met future bandmate Douglas Colvin, later to become Dee Dee Ramone, in the early 1970s when he was delivering dry cleaning. They would eat lunch together and discuss their mutual love of bands like the Stooges and MC5. They went to Manny's Guitar Emporium in New York City in January 1974. Johnny bought a used blue Mosrite Ventures II for $54 and change, including tax. On the same trip Colvin bought a Danelectro bass. They collaborated with future bandmate Jeffrey Hyman and formed the Ramones, with the almost-unknown Richie Stern on bass, who left after a few rehearsals. Erdelyi joined the band in the summer of that year, after failed public auditions for the position of Ramones drummer. Although Johnny Ramone wasn't as prolific of a songwriter as his bandmates, especially Dee Dee Ramone, his guitar style was a key part of the Ramones sound and was a major punk rock influence."



Let's remember him with a song or three from Arturo Vega's Lower East Side loft in 1975. 1-2-3-4!