Gabba Gabba, Hey!

From National Review:

On Thursday it was announced that guitarist Johnny Ramone, one of the great independent-minded rockers, died in his sleep after battling prostrate cancer for the last five years. He was 55 years old. Born John Cummings, he was one of the founding members of the legendary American punk-rock band the Ramones (named after an alias that Paul McCartney used when checking into hotels). ... Johnny Ramone, was indeed, an unforgettable character. While the Ramones were being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, Johnny took his opportunity at the microphone to make his allegiances known. "God bless President Bush," he said, "and God bless America." Bedecked in his trademark torn jeans and black leather motorcycle jacket, he understatedly thumbed his nose at he lockstep orthodoxy of the rock establishment. Now, that is punk rock. ... Ramone had an eclectic collection of friends who included shock rocker Rob Zombie, provocative filmmaker Vincent Gallo, and Bush-basher Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. After Vedder impaled a mask of President Bush during a concert, Ramone tried to convince him of how alienating his political theater was for fans.

"I try to make a dent in people when I can," he said. "I figure people drift toward liberalism at a young age, and I always hope that they change when they see how the world really is."

I think most of The Ramones are gone now. The band did go through a few lineup changes. I discovered them well after their hey day but when I found them, I loved them. It was fun, silly stuff. They'll be missed.