Today is the birthday of Jeffrey Ross Hyman who the world most commonly knows as the Godfather of Punk – Joey Ramone. Sadly the music world lost Joey after a lengthy battle with lymphoma back in April of 2001. It was just a month and a couple of days shy of his 50th birthday. Had he beaten the illness and managed to keep rocking with us, he would have been 60 years old today. It is without question that The Ramones are one of the most important and influential bands that ever walked upon the Punk, Rock and even Metal scene when you consider just how many musicians were affected by their body of work.

History shows how The Ramones as a band came into their prominence upon the new Punk Rock scene on the stages of the now shuttered C.B.G.B.’s club, but a couple of years after he passed away on November 30, 2003, East 2nd and Bowery was renamed “Joey Ramone Place” in his honor. It is said that both he and Dee Dee Ramone lived their during their early band years. I snapped the photo above while attending a Metal show at the Bowery Electric club which is located right there.
The music world will likely never see another band like The Ramones, and at this time in music history only found drummer Tommy Ramone and his replacement Marky Ramone from the bands seminal lineup remain with us. We truly miss all of them and thank them for their contributions. Learn more about Joey Ramone with his Wikipedia entry HERE.