No countdown this weekend, as we mourn the death of Johnny Ramone. First lead singer Joey (who died of cancer in 2001), then bassist Dee Dee (drug overdose), and now Johnny (after a five-year battle with prostate cancer). Tommy is the only Ramone remaining from the original four.
See also:
"Johnny was a punk rocker" by Steve Beard of Thunderstruck, who discusses Johnny's politically conservative worldview, something he held to despite the allure of rock's liberal side. "Having rock stars snatching cash for liberal causes is not really news," writes Beard. "The more intriguing stories, of course, revolve around independent rockers who do not tow the party line of Rolling Stone..."
Johnny Ramone was, indeed, an unforgettable character. While the Ramones were being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, Johnny took his opportunity at the microphone to make his allegiances known. "God bless President Bush," he said, "and God bless America." Bedecked in his trademark torn jeans and black leather motorcycle jacket, he understatedly thumbed his nose at the lockstep orthodoxy of the rock establishment. Now, that is punk rock.