Johnny Ramone Dead at 55

Johnny Ramone, co-founder and lead guitarist of seminal '70s punk rock band The Ramones, died in his sleep this afternoon at 3:03 p.m. in his Los Angeles home.

Ramone had been fighting an ongoing five-year battle with prostate cancer. At the time of his death, he was surrounded by friends and family that included his wife Linda Cummings, Eddie and Jill McCormack, Rob and Sherrie Zombie, John Frusciante and Robert Carmine. Additional friends who gathered at the home included Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Lockwood, Pete Yorn, Vincent Gallo, Steve Jones, Talia Shire, Gia Coppola and Jackie Getty.

Johnny Ramone, whose real name was Johnny Cummings, co-founded The Ramones in 1974 with fellow bandmates Joey Ramone, DeeDee Ramone and Tommy Ramone, the only surviving member of the original lineup. The band, which gained critical acclaim and a huge following in New York’s underground music scene after performing at clubs such as CBGB’s, is widely credited for bringing the “punk rock” genre to the forefront of American music. The Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Johnny Ramone is survived by his wife Linda Cummings and his mother Estelle Cummings. His body will be cremated during a private ceremony.

Statement from Marky Ramone:

"Johnny Ramone was my bandmate and brother for over 15 years. The bond between band members was closer than any others in The Ramones’ organization. John kept things in control when they could have spun out of control very easily. I'll never forget the day he asked me to join the Ramones in 1978. I always admired his guitar playing. He was the originator of the down stroke eighth-note guitar style, which is very difficult to do for hours on end like he did playing in The Ramones.

"Four months ago, I knew about the serious nature of his illness but, for a while, he had a turn for the better. This comes as a shock, but it was inevitable because of the severity of his condition which worsened more recently. We were lucky enough to talk and hang out a few months ago when he was strong enough to do the commentary track on the DVD "Ramones Raw", which was his last professional contribution to The Ramones. I spoke to him most recently when I was in L.A. for the 30th Anniversary concert that we put together for Ramones fans. Based on our last conversation, I felt this moment was coming. I'm sorry to see him go—like this. I hope the fans take the news as best they can. His legacy will live on in every band that has, is and always will be trying to duplicate The Ramones sound. It's a sad day for Ramones fans and a sad day for rock 'n' roll."

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