Johnny Ramone, guitarist and co-founder of the seminal punk band "The
Ramones," has died. He was 55.
Ramone died in his sleep Wednesday afternoon at his Los Angeles home
surrounded by friends and family, his publicist said.

He had been fighting a five-year battle with prostate cancer.

Ramone, whose birth name is John Cummings, had been hospitalized in
June at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Johnny Ramone was one of the original members of the Ramones, whose
hit songs "I Wanna Be Sedated" and "Blitzkrieg Bop," among others,
earned them an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

The band's singer, Joey Ramone, whose real name is Jeff Hyman, died
in 2001 of lymphatic cancer. Bassist Dee Dee Ramone, whose real name
is Douglas Colvin, died from a drug overdose in 2002.

Johnny Ramone co-founded "The Ramones" in 1974 along with Joey
Ramone, DeeDee Ramone and Tommy Ramone, who is the only surviving
member of the original band.

A tribute concert and cancer research fund-raiser was held Sunday in
Los Angeles to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary. It featured
performances from Los Angeles punk band X, the Red Hot Chili Peppers,
Henry Rollins and others.

Along with his wife, Linda Cummings, Johnny Ramone was surrounded at
his death by friends Eddie and Jill Vedder, Rob and Sherrie Zombie
and others. Other friends who gathered at his Los Angeles home
included Lisa Marie Presley, Pete Yorn, Vincent Gallo and Talia Shire.

He is survived by his wife and his mother, Estelle Cummings. He will
be cremated during a private ceremony.
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