Tommy Ramone

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Tommy Ramone was born Tamás Erdélyi in Budapest in 1949. His parents were Jewish photographers who survived the war because neighbours hid them. In 1957 the family emigrated to the United States and eventually ended up in Forest Hills in Queens, New York. There at school he played guitar in a garage band with John Cummings, the later Johnny Ramone. After school he worked as an assistant at the Record Plant recording studio, on Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys among other things.

Music and breakthrough

When the Ramones came into being, Tommy was meant to be the manager. He had never drummed before, but became the drummer when Joey Ramone became the singer, because Joey could not keep up with the ever faster tempos. From 1974 to 1978 he played on the first three albums, Ramones, Leave Home and Rocket to Russia, and on the live album It's Alive. He was also the co-producer. He wrote I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend and most of Blitzkrieg Bop, for which Dee Dee came up with the title. He himself named the New York Dolls, Lou Reed and Andy Warhol as important influences.

Influence

In 1978 he handed over the drumming to Marky Ramone, but he remained involved as manager and producer, including of Road to Ruin and later of Too Tough to Die. He also produced Tim by The Replacements. Later he played in the bluegrass duo Uncle Monk. He died in 2014 at the age of 65, the last survivor of the original line-up.

Listening