The late Johnny Ramone was celebrated with an impressive monument 20 years ago today (January 14, 2005), at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.
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A life-size bronze statue of the Ramones guitarist was unveiled that day during a ceremony that featured speeches by a variety of the punk-rock legend’s famous friends and fans. The memorial is located near the grave of Johnny’s bandmate, founding Ramones bassist Dee Dee Ramone.
Among the celebrities who took part in the event were original Ramones drummer Tommy Ramone, Ramones bassist C.J. Ramone, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, Rob Zombie, Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante, actors Nicolas Cage and Vincent Gallo, Lisa Marie Presley, Priscilla Presley, and singer/songwriter Pete Yorn.
Also in attendance were Johnny’s widow, Linda; Sire Records founder Seymour Stein; and Ramones logo designer Arturo Vega.
A recap of the event written by Ramones superfan Gaston Sanchez, who attended the unveiling, has been posted at JohnnyRamone.com.
More About the Johnny Ramone Statue
The Johnny Ramone statue cost $100,000 and was designed by sculptor and mask maker Wayne Toth. The monument depicts Ramone from the thighs up, playing his signature Mosrite guitar and wearing a leather jacket.
The base of the statue features the inscription of a quote by Johnny that reads, “If a man can tell if he’s been successful in his life by having great friends, then I’ve been very successful.” The quote was inspired by a similar
The base also includes brief inscribed quotes from Linda Ramone, Vedder, Zombie, Frusciante, Gallo, and Lisa Marie Presley.
Since the statue was first unveiled, numerous tribute events have been held at the site over the years.
More About Johnny Ramone and the Ramones
Johnny was born John Cummings on October 8, 1948, in Queens, New York. He co-founded the pioneering punk-rock band the Ramones in 1974. Ramone was known for his rapid-fire rhythm playing that featured quicky strummed barre chords and power chords. He co-wrote many of the group’s songs, including “Suzy Is a Headbanger,” “Pinhead,” “Teenage Lobotomy,” and “Psycho Therapy.”
Johnny was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the Ramones in March 2002.
Johnny died of prostate cancer on September 15, 2004, at age 55. He became the third founding member of the band to die within three-and-a-half years. Singer Joey Ramone (born Jeffrey Heiman) passed away on April 15, 2001, at ag 49 from lymphoma. Bassist Dee Dee Ramone (born Doug Colvin) died on June 5, 2002, at age 50 from a h*r#@n overdose. Tommy Ramone (born Tamas Erdelyi), the band’s last surviving original member, died July 11, 2014, at age 65 of bile-duct cancer.
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