Johnny Ramone: Founding Guitarist of the Ramones Dies at 55

Johnny Ramone was the guitarist of the punk band the Ramones. Born John Cummings on October 8, 1948, in Long Island, New York, he grew up in Forest Hills, Queens.

He co-founded the Ramones in 1974 and developed the band's fast, stripped-down downstroke guitar style. The group's songs included "Blitzkrieg Bop" and "Rockaway Beach," and they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

Johnny was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1999. He died at his home in Los Angeles on September 15, 2004, at age 55. A statue of him stands at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Achievements: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2002), founding member of the Ramones.

Birth: October 8, 1948 - Long Island, New York.

Profession: Guitarist.

Interesting Facts: He kept to a strict downstroke style and rarely played solos.