Remembering Joey Ramone on His Birthday

Today (May 19) we remember Ramones frontman Joey Ramone on his birthday. The punk legend would have been 65. Joey died of Lymphoma on April 15, 2001 at the age of 49.

I met Joey 20 years ago at an outdoor concert in the village of Woodstock where he was performing with punk band The Independents. Having never gotten a chance to see The Ramones live, it was an experience I’ll always remember fondly. I chatted with Joey for awhile about radio and the music scene.

The Ramones formed in 1974, out of Forrest Hills, Queens in New York City and were a major influence on the punk 70’s punk movement in the U.S. and U.K. The band toured virtually nonstop for 22 years, performing 2,263 concerts and they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Blast some Ramones today in Joey’s memory!

For more on The Ramones, check out the band’s official website here.