When the Ramones first came together, with Johnny Ramone on guitar, Dee Dee Ramone on bass and Joey Ramone on drums, Erdelyi was supposed to be the manager, but was drafted as the band's drummer when Joey became the lead singer and found that he couldn't keep up with the Ramones' increasingly fast tempos. "Tommy Ramone, who was managing us, finally had to sit down behind the drums, because nobody else wanted to," Dee Dee later recalled.
He remained as drummer from 1974 to 1978, playing on and co-producing their first three albums, Ramones, Leave Home, and Rocket to Russia, as well as the live album It's Alive.He also produced The Replacements' Tim.
Cursed in their career with no sales, The Ramones were curiously cursed with early deaths - 55, 50, and 49. Jesus. The fact that Tommy lasted 10 years past the most recent death (Johnny) and still was only 62 is crazy.
Here he is on the classic Rockaway Beach.
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