Tommy Ramone, the original drummer for The Ramones, has died at age 62 from bile duct cancer.
Tommy Ramone was born Erdelyi Tamas in Budapest, Hungary. His Jewish parents were Holocast survivors after escaping the Nazis and relocating to Forest Hills, New York.
Tommy became a record producer in his teens and worked as assistant engineer on Jimi Hendrix ‘Band of Gypsies’ (1970).
When The Ramones formed Tommy was recruited as the manager but became the drummer “because nobody wanted to”, Dee Dee Ramone once said.
Tommy then played on the first three studio albums ‘Ramones’, ‘Leave Home’ and ‘Rocket To Russia’ and the live album ‘Its Alive’. He co-produced the fourth album ‘Road To Ruin’ and return to producer the eighth album ‘Too Tough To Die’.
AS a songwriter Tommy wrote ‘I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend’ and co-wrote ‘Blitzkreig Bop’.
His production credits also include The Replacements ‘Tim’ and Redd Kross ‘Neurotica’.
Tommy’s last gig as a Ramone was for the ‘Ramones Beat Down On Cancer’ igg in October 2007. That line-up featured Clem Burke of Blondie as Elvis Ramone.
Tommy died at his home in Queens, New York on July 11, 2014.
Joey Ramone died in 2001 at age 49, Dee Dee Ramone died in 2002 at age 50, Johnny Ramone died in 2004 at age 55.
