1. Tommy Ramone Dies at 65; He
Gave Punk Rock Its Pulse
Tom Erdelyi, better knownas Tommy Ramone, the founding drummer and
last surviving original member of the Ramones, the NewYork City band
whose dizzying, short blasts of melody codifiedthe sound of punk rock,
diedon Friday at his home in Ridgewood, Queens. He was 65.
The cause was cancer of the bile duct, his family
said. Of the original Ramones, Joey (the singer)
diedin 2001, Dee Dee (the bassist) in2002 and
Johnny (the guitarist) in2004.
Mr. Erdelyi playedonly on the band’s first three
albums, “Ramones”in 1976 and“Leave Home”
and “Rocket to Russia,”bothfrom 1977. Andhe
cut a much more easygoing figure thanhis
bandmates, who despite their fraternal stage
names were
Tom Erdelyi, better knownas Tommy Ramone, the founding drummer and
last surviving original member of the Ramones, the NewYork City band
whose dizzying, short blasts of melody codifiedthe soundof punk rock,
diedon Friday at his home in Ridgewood, Queens. He was 65.
The cause was cancer of the bile duct, his family said. Of the original
Ramones, Joey (the singer) diedin2001, Dee Dee (the bassist) in2002 and
Johnny (the guitarist) in2004.
Mr. Erdelyi playedonly on the band’s first three albums, “Ramones”in
1976 and “Leave Home”and “Rocket toRussia,”bothfrom 1977. Andhe
cut a much more easygoing figure thanhis bandmates, who despite their
fraternal stage names were notorious for internecine feuds. Yet Mr. Erdelyi
playeda crucial role inthe soundand early development of the band, which
was startedby the high school friends fromForest Hills, Queens.