Report: Johnny Ramone dying of cancer

[lucky wilbury]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5218974/

Report: Johnny Ramone dying of cancer
Guitarist has had prostate cancer for four years

Updated: 9:06 p.m. ET June 15, 2004

LOS ANGELES - The guitarist with pioneering punk rock band the Ramones is fighting a losing a battle with cancer in a Los Angeles hospital, Rolling Stone magazine reported on its Web site Tuesday.

Johnny Ramone, 55, whose real name is John Cummings, was diagnosed with prostate cancer four years ago, and it has now spread throughout his body, Rollingstone.com quoted the band’s drummer, Marky Ramone, as saying.

“Johnny’s been a champ in confronting this, but at this point I think the chances are slim,” Marky Ramone said in the report. “John never smoked cigarettes, he wasn’t a heavy drinker and he was always into his health. It just proves when cancer seeks a body to penetrate, it doesn’t matter how healthy you are or how unhealthy you are. It just seeps in and there’s nothing you can do.”

The Ramones, famed for playing their high-energy, unpolished songs at breakneck speed, rose to fame in New York City in 1974, paving the way for such British punk rock icons as the Sex Pistols and the Clash.

The band made its mark with such tunes as “Blitzkrieg Bop,” ”Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue” and “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker,” but it never achieved the same commercial success as acts that followed in its path. The Ramones officially retired in 1996.

The band’s singer, Joey Ramone (ne Jeff Hyman), died in 2001 of lymphatic cancer, while bassist Dee Dee Ramone (ne Douglas Colvin

[Jesus Christ]

Jesus wept :cry:

(Verily, even the Messiah is a Ramones fan)

[BITEYOASS]

Hey Jesus, how are Joey and Dee Dee doing up there?

[Satan]

Originally posted by BITEYOASS
Hey Jesus, how are Joey and Dee Dee doing up there?

Joey and Dee Dee are doing great. But they ain't "up there" :D

[Bottoms Up]

Im very sad to hear of this...Im not a fan of The Ramones, but i wish Johnny Ramone the best...

[lucky wilbury]

http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,14342,00.html

Johnny Ramone: I'm Not Dying

by Lia Haberman
Jun 18, 2004, 9:30 AM PT



Hey ho, Johnny Ramone's not ready to go.

Following reports that the legendary punk guitarist lay dying of cancer in a Los Angeles-area hospital, the Ramones rocker and his wife, Linda, released a statement saying he'll be just fine, thank you.

The 55-year-old has been hospitalized with an infection related to prostate cancer, his rep said Thursday.

"He is receiving the medication he needs and will be leaving the hospital next week to continue his recovery," per spokesman Paul Bloch.

Ramone (aka John Cummings) is being treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He was reportedly diagnosed with prostate cancer four years ago and has undergone extensive chemotherapy treatment to battle the disease--with varied results according to some.

The current negative prognosis stems from an interview bandmate Marky Ramone gave Rolling Stone magazine.

"He went through many chemotherapy treatments," Marky told the mag. "Some of it worked better than others. At this point [the cancer] has started to go into other areas of the body."

"Johnny's been a champ in confronting this, but at this point I think the chances are slim," he concluded.

While not exactly a clean bill of health, Johnny's statement does scuttle the deathbed watch and is a rare bit of good news for the hard-luck band.

Two of the band's other founding members, frontman Joey Ramone and bassist Dee Dee Ramone, died in recent years. Joey (born Jeff Hyman) lost his fight with lymphatic cancer in April 2001, while Dee Dee (aka Douglas Colvin) succumbed to a heroin overdose in June 2002.

The band formed in Queens in 1974 and revolutionized rock 'n' roll with such hard-charging two-minute, three-chord anthems as "I Wanna Be Sedated," "Blitzkrieg Bop," "Rockaway Beach" and "Teenage Lobotomy."

The group officially disbanded in 1996 following the release of their 14th and final studio album, Adios Amigos, and a farewell tour.

In 2002, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Johnny, Marky, Dee Dee and drummer turned producer Tommy Ramone reuniting onstage and paying tribute to Joey.

[Panamark]

Poor fella. Any blokes over 40, you can get a simple blood test now
(PSA) that can be used for early detection. Like most of us, we dont want our local docs finger up our ass, Thats the traditional detection method. But the blood test is nothing. Prostate Cancer is totally cureable if found early. The cancer always starts contained within the gland and therefore, at worst can be removed, before it spreads into the lymphatic system and hence the rest of the body.

All males, if they live long enough, would have developed prostate cancer.

This has been a public health service notice br Doctor Pana.

I feel sorry for Johhny Ramone, I have family members fighting at the moment.

[Satan]

Three months to the day that Johnny Ramone said he wasn't dying.....he died :(

[bueno bob]

Didn't that happen with Freddie Mercury, as well? He denied reports that he had AIDS, then came out a week before he died and admitted he had it and was sick?

[FORD]

Originally posted by bueno bob
Didn't that happen with Freddie Mercury, as well? He denied reports that he had AIDS, then came out a week before he died and admitted he had it and was sick?

Actually, with Freddy he died the next day.

And while I can respect the man's right to his privacy, once his appearance obviously couldn't hide his illness, and the band refused to tour behind a strong album, it was only obvious something was wrong, and it didn't benefit anybody to continue the denial. Freddie Mercury was a role model (whether he chose to be or not) for a number of people, both gay and straight, who could have benefitted from his voice on the issue of HIV/AIDS. He might have saved some other lives in the process even if it was too late to save his own :(