Tommy Ramone, last original member of the Ramones, dies

The Ramones always seemed too fast. Their songs rushed by, often two minutes or less of pure adrenaline. Their influence outstripped their sales. And now, with the death of drummer Tommy, all four original members of the seminal punk rock band are gone.

Tommy Ramone, born Erdelyi Tamas in Budapest, Hungary, died Friday at age 65, said Dave Frey, who works for Ramones Productions and Silent Partner Management. He had no further details.

Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee and Tommy Ramone, taking their surname from an alias Paul McCartney used to check into hotels, formed in Queens in 1974. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members were the leaders of the original punk rock movement, with songs such as "I Wanna Be Sedated," "Blitzkrieg Bop" and "Rockaway Beach."

Wearing ripped jeans, black leather and bad haircuts, the Ramones stripped rock down to its essentials: guitar, bass, drums, a singer and no solos. Their 1976 debut album had 14 songs in less than 30 minutes, with "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue" and "Beat on the Brat" reflecting their twisted teen years.

The Ramones never had a Top 40 hit, although not for lack of trying. They brought in Phil Spector to produce an album. After seeing the Ramones in New Jersey, Bruce Springsteen wrote "Hungry Heart" for them -- then kept it for himself when his manager smelled a hit.

"This is art," Tommy wrote in the liner notes for a Ramones compilation. "Sometimes it doesn't sell at first. Sometimes it takes a while for the world to catch on."

Their concerts were a bolt of energy, songs tumbling upon one another. "Hello, Schenectady!" Joey shouted upon taking the stage in Syracuse in the late 1970s, before Dee Dee let loose with the familiar, rapid-fire "1-2-3-4" call that signaled the music's start.

Upstate New York. Starts with an "S." Close enough.

Bands such as Nirvana, Blink-182 and Green Day came later and did sell, with sounds unimaginable without the Ramones' influence.

Now, teenagers not yet born when the Ramones played their last gig in 1996 wear black T-shirts to the mall emblazoned with the band's distinctive insignia.

Tommy Ramone was the last to see it all. Singer Joey died first, of cancer, at age 49 in 2001. Bassist Dee Dee was killed by a drug overdose the next year at age 50, three months after the band's rock hall induction. Guitarist Johnny, then 55, died of cancer in 2004.

Tommy was the band's original manager and helped produce some of their earlier albums. He was a guitar player in a band with Johnny that predated the Ramones, but went behind the drums when they couldn't find anyone else to keep up. He got out early, leaving the stage in 1978.

He stayed active as a producer, and played mandolin, banjo and guitar for a bluegrass band in his later years.