Remembering Johnny Ramone

John William Cummings was born October 8, 1948 in beautiful Queens, NY. He went on to become one of the most unique and influential guitarists of all time.

Young Johnny loved Baseball, Apple Pie, Nudie Magazines and Rock n Roll. He was a lifelong Yankees fan who loved Mickey Mantle as much as he loved Elvis. Johnny was once forced to play an entire little league baseball game with a broken leg. “The bone was coming through the skin, but my father said stop being a baby and walk it off. So I did. I ended up going 3 for 4 with a stand up triple.”

Angry Young Man

Johnny was a tough kid, a greaser, an angry young man and a teenage delinquent who often terrorized his Queens neighborhood. He would steal all the other kids lunch money and make them lick dog poop. Johnny formed The Ramones using a stolen Guitar.

Remembering Johnny Ramone — Ramones Illustration By Paul King Art

As The Ramones legend grew, so did Johnny’s anger. John once ran over to Englebert Humperdinck and hit him in the balls with his guitar neck, for talking while The Ramones played. Johnny once even beat up Bon Jovi’s father.

“It happened in 1975” said Bon Jovi, “I was 13 and was visiting my cousin Claude in Queens, NY. I was riding my bicycle to the corner store to get my usual copy of Tiger Beat magazine when this guy in a leather jacket confronted me. He called me a sissy and took my bike. I ran home and got my father. Johnny beat us both up and down Queens Blvd.”

Johnny & The Ramones

A thousand broken bones and many beatings later, Johnny and The Ramones changed the world and music forever. The most influential band of all time fought and bickered like brothers, but none of that mattered in the end. Johnny left us on September 15, 2004. His beloved Yankees won one in his honor that day.

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