I Remember You… Joey Ramone

Maggie St. Thomas·May 19, 2021

Jeffrey Ross Hyman, aka Joey Ramone

(May 19, 1951- April 15, 2001)

Today we celebrate what would have been the 70th birthday of Joey Ramone.

On April 15, 2001, the world lost one of the greatest lead singers of all time. I was fortunate to see the Ramones live a handful of times and photograph their live performance at the iconic KROQ Weenie Roast in ’95 as well.

In ’97, Joey Ramone did an in-store signing at Tower Records on Sunset Blvd. I was working at Victoria’s Secret at the time and lost my job because I blew off work to get my RAMONES paraphernalia signed. Worth it to have my Lifestyles of The Ramones VHS signed, my published 1/2 page article signed, and two photographs I shot and printed in my own darkroom signed to Maggie. That’s me!

Just a few short weeks following the announcement of Joey’s death in 2001, I flew to NYC to attend and cover his bittersweet 50th birthday bash at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Debbie Harry, Cheap Trick, The Damned, and others performed in his honor. It was there that I met Joey’s immediate family, including his brother Mickey Leigh and mother Charlotte Lesher, for the first time. I attended and covered a handful of other tribute events on behalf of The Ramones’ creative director, Arturo Vega, including Birthday Bashes in New York and a monument dedication at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Let’s not forget that “Jeffrey Hyman died so that Joey Ramone could live on!”

So what’s living inside your speakers? Keep him alive! “1-2-3-4!”