LOS ANGELES – A statue in memory of legendary punk guitarist Johnny Ramone will be unveiled by his wife, Linda Ramone in a public ceremony on January 14 at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles. The monument will be located not far from where bandmate Dee Dee Ramone is buried. During the ceremony, which will take place from 3 – 5 p.m. there will be speeches by some of Johnny’s closest friends, thus keeping with the spirit of Johnny’s own words written in the stone:
“If a man can judge success by how many great friends he has, then I have been very successful.”
The bronze statue, created by artist Wayne Toth, will capture Johnny in his most memorable image – playing his Mosrite guitar. Johnny Ramone, co-founder and guitarist of seminal 70’s punk rock band The Ramones, died on Sept. 15, 2004 at his home in Los Angeles.
Johnny Ramone co-founded The Ramones in 1974 along with fellow bandmates Joey Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone and Tommy Ramone; the only surviving member of the original band. The band, which gained critical acclaim and a huge following in New York’s underground music scene at the time performing at clubs such as CBGB’s, is widely credited for bringing the “punk rock” genre to the forefront. The Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.