Biography
In 1974, longtime friends John Cummings, Douglas Colvin, and Jeffrey Hyman banded together in their hometown in Queens, NY to form the rock group Ramones. The band's earliest days were marked by a toggling of roles between the three musicians-notably, trading off the responsibilities of lead vocals-and the gradual adoption of Ramones-themed stage names: Colvin became Dee Dee Ramone, Cummings became Johnny Ramone, and Hyman became Joey Ramone. As the band began to take shape, the aid of Thomas Erdelyi was enlisted-first as a manager and ultimately as the Ramones' drummer. This foursome made their live debut at venues like Performance Studios and CBGB, becoming a regular fixture at the latter establishment over the span of 1974. Two years later, the Ramones released their first album, Ramones (1976), which was critically revered but commercially unsuccessful. After the release of two additional albums, Leave Home (1977) and Rocket to Russia (1977), the band lost Erdelyi and subbed in drummer Marc "Marky Ramone" Bell. The dawn of the 1980s saw a reformation of the Ramones' sound, what with the incorporation of a softer, and generally more pop-friendly, aura-notably on the Phil Spector-produced End of the Century and Pleasant Dreams, with which Cummings expressed disappointment. This period also marked the beginning of varied interpersonal conflicts between the Ramones members. Bell was replaced with Richard "Richie Ramone" Reinhardt in 1983, prompting a return to the band's earlier punk sensibility with albums like Too Tough to Die (1984) and Halfway to Sanity (1987); meanwhile, Cummings and Hyman's friendship suffered after Cummings married Hyman's ex-girlfriend, and Colvin left the band in '89. Despite sustained animosity, Cummings and Hyman continued to perform together, with a returning Bell and new recruit Christopher Joseph "C.J. Ramone" Ward, through the early '90s. The Ramones' final album was Adios Amigos! (1995), released a year before their farewell show in 1996.
