Ok,
I'll admit it, I was never a Johnny Ramone fan, maybe I wrote
about it on my Dee Dee tribute, can't read it and wrote it when
he OD'd nearly 3 years ago. But Johnny was nasty to me, but
of course I loved him as part of the Ramones. Then Tommy Ramone
said the most eloquent, inspiring stories about his long-time
Ramone "brother" and I couldn't stop the tears. Sitting
amongst his friends tearfully talking about him should have
moved anyone, unless they too are made of the marble and bronze
of his statue. The author of the LA Weekly article was so mean-sprited
and as Pleasant wrote me, "smug," that I had to write
them. They published an edited version of my reply, omitting
my positive remarks about Linda Ramone and their entertaining
friend, Vincent Gallo. Oh, I am now a HUGE fan of not only Johnny,
but Linda. They truly were a match made in rock 'n' roll heaven.
My heart and prayers go out to her.
Don't ever let anyone re-write
your life stories! No one on this planet walked in my Birkenstocks
and Fioruccis jellies nor took the tens of thousands of shots
I took. NO ONE is gonna tell me what my life was like and put
down our heroes! FUCK YOU ALL if you think us punk pioneers
are gonna put up with that shit. So here's the article and my
reply.
And the next time you don't
agree with something printed, write your editor. Whether it's
the war in Iraq (I've been at it since the Vietnam War!!) or
the environment or teaching sexual abstinence in the age of
AIDS rather than safe sex, pick up the phone, a pen or start
typing!! I have a stack of letters that have been printed, all
political until this one. But what is more political than punk?
“Rock & Roll Cemetery,”
LA Weekly, January 21 – 27, http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/09/a.php
Linda Cummings arrived at Hollywood Forever
Cemetery in a white, backless, nearly see-through mini-halter
dress, white fur jacket and white high-heeled go-go boots. Not
exactly site-specific attire, but then again, she is Johnny
Ramone’s widow. Various celebs milled about, including
Anthony Kiedis, who showed up wearing a Johnny Ramone–style
hairdo to go with the anorexic-model type on his arm. The crowd
included everyone from mohawked gutter punks in leather jackets
and bondage pants to businessmen in three-piece suits.
They had all come for last Friday’s
unveiling of the Johnny Ramone memorial statue. Ramone (born
John Cummings) died in September from prostate cancer at the
age of 55. But unlike Rudolph Valentino, Virginia Rappe, Mel
Blanc, Peter Lorre and bandmate Dee Dee Ramone, whose remains
all reside at the cemetery, you can’t dig up Johnny’s
bones here — he was cremated instead (and his wife kept
the ashes).
Ramones tunes blasted over the sound system
as people took their seats and purple-permed punk photographer
Jenny Lens passed out fliers to promote her Web site. The festivities
began 45 minutes later than scheduled, and disc jockey/Sex Pistol
Steve Jones was visibly annoyed, pointing to his wrist as if
it held a watch.
A group of Johnny’s friends finally
appeared from behind a mausoleum. Nicolas Cage waltzed down
the steps with his former sushi waitress and current wife, Alice
Kim. Lisa Marie Presley (one of Cage’s ex-wives) was with
some dude dressed like Kid Rock.
"More than any other band, the Ramones
were responsible for the punk and new wave explosion of the
mid-1970s," said president of Sire Records Seymore Stein,
the first of Ramone’s friends to speak at the podium.
Stein, who signed the band in 1975, added that one of Johnny’s
last wishes was for Cat Stevens to be inducted into the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame.
Tommy Ramone, the only founding member of
the group who is still alive, described growing up with Johnny,
playing stickball. "He was murderous," Tommy recalled.
"He loved to terrorize the batters, and when he became
a guitarist, he transformed his pitching style into his playing
technique, amazing Ramones fans with his speed and ferocity."
C.J. Ramone, who joined the band on bass
in 1989, was so choked up, he could barely get through his tribute.
His eulogy caused a few people in the audience to break into
tears.
Cage removed his hot-pink sunglasses and
delivered an Oscar-worthy monologue. "[Johnny] willed the
Ramones to happen, and he changed the face of rock & roll
music forever. Now, it wasn’t just music he influenced;
I’m here to tell you that I’ve been ripping Johnny
Ramone off in movies for years."
Pete Yorn, John Frusciante and Eddie Vedder
(with his baby girl, Olivia, in tow) also spoke, but Vincent
Gallo gave a truly Galloesque eulogy, spending more time discussing
himself than Johnny and letting everyone know that he only befriended
Johnny because he liked Linda. "I knew to be Linda’s
friend I had to be friends with Johnny, and he seemed so crotchety
and mean and nasty. I’m more avant-garde than Johnny.
Of course, I liked the Ramones, but I was more into more arty
bands. It wasn’t like I needed to meet Johnny Ramone.
I would have preferred the guitar player for Magazine or Ultravox
or something."
Then he went on to subtly explain that he
was more intelligent than any of Johnny’s friends or family
members. "[Johnny] told me that, other than him, I was
the smartest person he knew."
Eventually, Gallo stopped, and everyone
followed Linda to the statue, from which she removed the velvet
draping to reveal the replica of her late husband playing guitar.
Prominently displayed in front of a beautiful lake, his likeness
was perched on top of a huge stone cube that was engraved with
tender and banal words from his wife and friends ("He was
a great American and the greatest friend, I love you John —Eddie
Vedder").
Rob Zombie explained how the statue came
to be. "One of Johnny’s favorite things to do was
to keep reminding Linda what a lucky woman she was to be living
with a legend. [Impersonating Johnny] ‘Linda, I’m
a fuckin’ legend. You’re living in the lap of luxury
because of me. Without me, you’re nothing.’ So I
thought I’d have my friend Wayne [Toth] sculpt an award
that just said, ‘Legend.’ One day we were talking
— and at this point Johnny was very sick — we sort
of talked about what was inevitably going to happen and about
having some sort of headstone or memorial, and I said, ‘Johnny,
why don’t you make a giant-sized one of this fucking thing
as a joke?’ And now that joke is sitting over there, weighs
50,000 pounds, and it’s made out of bronze."
—Dan Kapelovitz
“Speak Well of the Dead,”
http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/11/letters.php
Re: "purple-permed punk photographer
Jenny Lens passed out fliers to promote her Web site."
Hmm, I have never had a perm nor owned a
hair curler in my life!! I have natural, God-given curls Shirley
Temple would envy. The flyer was entitled "Celebrating
the Ramones in California, 1976 - 1978." The fliers were
avidly requested by the fans and I never mentioned they were
my photos. I told people I made it so fans would have a memento
from that day. The inner-most Ramones circle didn't find a problem
with them either. But what can I expect when the first line
is critical of what Johnny's widow, Linda, was wearing? Did
it ever occur to the writer maybe Linda dressed to please Johnny,
in life and in his passing?
My first, yet brief, encounter with Linda
gave me a totally different impression. She is bright, assertive,
beautiful and handled herself in a dignified manner. I learned
a lot about Linda and Johnny from Vincent Gallo's entertaining
and informative talk. Next time send someone who reveres who
is being honored and those of us who paid our respects. Your
article didn't serve anyone well. The ceremony was touching
beyond words and gratifying, especially for those of us who
loved and saw (and in my case, personally knew) the Ramones
since they first landed in LA in August 1976.
Gabba gabba hey,
Jenny Lens, punk archivist/photographer/storyteller
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