Dee Dee Ramone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dee Dee Ramone
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Dee Dee Ramone performing live with the Ramones, 1977
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Douglas Glenn Colvin |
| Also known as | Dee Dee King |
| Born | September 18, 1951 Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | June 5, 2002 (aged 50) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1966–2002 |
Douglas Glenn Colvin (born September 18, 1951 – died June 5, 2002), known as Dee Dee Ramone, was an American musician. He was the bassist and a founding member of the famous punk rock band, the Ramones. He wrote many of their most well-known songs.
Dee Dee was first the band's lead singer. Later, Joey Ramone became the main singer. Dee Dee was the band's bassist and songwriter from 1974 to 1989. He then tried a short career in hip hop music as Dee Dee King.
He soon went back to his punk rock style. He released three solo albums with new songs. Many of these songs were later recorded by the Ramones. He toured the world, playing his new songs, Ramones songs, and old favorites. He kept writing songs for the Ramones until they stopped performing in 1996.
Dee Dee passed away on June 5, 2002, when he was 50 years old.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Douglas Glenn Colvin was born on September 18, 1951, in Fort Lee, Virginia. His father was an American soldier, and his mother was German. When he was a baby, his family moved to West Berlin, West Germany, because of his father's military work. They moved often, which made Douglas's childhood a bit lonely.
When he was a teenager, his parents separated. At 15, he moved with his mother and sister, Beverley, to Forest Hills, Queens, New York. There, he met John Cummings and Thomas Erdelyi. They later became Johnny and Tommy Ramone. They were playing in a band called the Tangerine Puppets.
Monty Colvin, a bassist from the band Galactic Cowboys, is one of Dee Dee's cousins.
Music Career Highlights
Forming The Ramones
Dee Dee (then Douglas Colvin) and Johnny (then John Cummings) quickly became friends. They both felt a bit like outsiders in their neighborhood. In 1974, Johnny convinced Dee Dee to start their own band with drummer Jeffrey Hyman, who became Joey Ramone. Joey became the lead singer because Dee Dee found it hard to sing lead for many songs. However, Dee Dee always started each song with his fast shout of "1-2-3-4!"
It was Dee Dee who first suggested the name "the Ramones." He had heard that Paul McCartney sometimes used the fake name "Paul Ramon" when checking into hotels. Dee Dee added an 'e' to "Ramon," and all the band members agreed to use "Ramone" as their last name. This showed they were a team.
In the early 1970s, Dee Dee worked as a printer's helper in New York City. He also became friends with Arturo Vega, an artist who designed the Ramones' famous logo and helped with their stage shows.
Ramones' Albums and Songs
The Ramones played their first show on March 30, 1974. Their first album, Ramones, came out in 1976. Music critics liked it, but it didn't sell a huge number of copies at first. Their next albums, Leave Home and Rocket to Russia, were released in 1977. Rocket to Russia was their most successful album at the time.
In 1978, they released Road to Ruin. The song "I Wanna Be Sedated" from this album became one of their most famous songs. The album cover art was made by John Holmstrom.
Dee Dee wrote or helped write many of the Ramones' songs. Even after he left the band in 1989, he kept writing for them. He contributed at least three songs to each of their later albums. For example, the Ramones' last album, ¡Adios Amigos! (1995), included several songs Dee Dee had written for his solo projects.
Dee Dee was a special guest at the very last Ramones concert in Los Angeles on August 6, 1996. He sang lead vocals on the song "Love Kills."
Over the years, the Ramones became very important in music history. Rolling Stone magazine listed them among the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time." In 2002, the Ramones were added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Dee Dee was there for the ceremony.
Later Music Projects
In 1987, before leaving the Ramones, Dee Dee tried a short career as a hip hop rapper under the name "Dee Dee King." He released an album called Standing in the Spotlight. Some music critics did not like the album.
After this, he went back to punk rock. He started various short-lived bands. In 1992, Dee Dee formed Dee Dee Ramone and the Chinese Dragons. Then came his most successful project after the Ramones, a group called Dee Dee Ramone I.C.L.C. (Inter-Celestial Light Commune), which lasted from 1994 to 1996.
This group released the album I Hate Freaks Like You in 1994. It featured singer Nina Hagen on two songs. Dee Dee's band toured 22 countries to promote the album. Some songs Dee Dee wrote for a second I.C.L.C. album later appeared on the Ramones' final album, ¡Adios Amigos!. One song, "Born to Die in Berlin," even had Dee Dee singing in German.
Dee Dee also formed a Ramones tribute band called the Ramainz with his wife Barbara and former Ramones drummer Marky. They recorded a live album.
Dee Dee released several solo albums too. His first solo album was Zonked! (1997). It featured guest singers like Joey Ramone and Lux Interior from the Cramps. His second solo album was Hop Around. He also released Greatest & Latest, which had new versions of Ramones songs and some new solo songs.
In the 2000s, Dee Dee worked with artist Paul Kostabi. Together with Barbara, they created many paintings. Dee Dee also moved to California and tried acting, but it was not successful. His final studio recordings were released in 2002 on the album Youth Gone Mad featuring Dee Dee Ramone.
Musical Equipment
Dee Dee Ramone used Ampeg brand amplifiers throughout his time with the Ramones.
Writing Books
Dee Dee Ramone wrote an autobiography called Poison Heart: Surviving the Ramones, which was published in 1998. It was later re-released as Lobotomy: Surviving the Ramones in 2016. He wrote this book with Veronica Kofman. He also wrote another book, Legend of a Rock Star, which was like a daily journal of his European tour in 2001.
Personal Life
In 1978, Dee Dee married Vera Boldis. They separated in 1990 and divorced in 1995.
In 1994, Dee Dee met Barbara Zampini in Argentina. She was a fan of his music. They later got married. Barbara toured with him, and they stayed together until his death. After he passed away, Barbara managed his estate.
Death
Dee Dee Ramone died at his home in Hollywood, California, on June 5, 2002.
He is buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood. His gravestone has the Ramones' band logo. It also has a line from his song "Highest Trails Above": "I feel so safe flying on a ray on the highest trails above." At the bottom of the stone, it says, "O.K...I gotta go now."
Discography
Solo Albums
- Standing in the Spotlight (1989)
- I Hate Freaks Like You (1994)
- Zonked! (1997)
- Hop Around (2000)
- Greatest & Latest (2000)
Other Songs
- "Jump in the Fire" for A Punk Tribute to Metallica (2001)
- "Negative Creep" for Smells Like Bleach: A Punk Tribute to Nirvana (2001)
- "Bad Little Go-Go Girl" for Beyond Cyberpunk (2001)
- "Pass It to Jah" for New Prohibition: A Musical History of Hemp (2001)
Ramones Studio Albums
- Ramones (1976)
- Leave Home (1977)
- Rocket to Russia (1977)
- Road to Ruin (1978)
- End of the Century (1980)
- Pleasant Dreams (1981)
- Subterranean Jungle (1983)
- Too Tough to Die (1984)
- Animal Boy (1986)
- Halfway to Sanity (1987)
- Brain Drain (1989)
Ramones Live Albums
- It's Alive (1979)
- You Don't Come Close (2001)
- NYC 1978 (2003)
Images for kids
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Dee Dee Ramone performing live with the Ramones, 1977
See also
In Spanish: Dee Dee Ramone para niños
