Tommy Ramone RIP

TOMMY RAMONE (born Erdelyi Tamas), the founding drummer for and last original member of The Ramones, died this weekend at his Ridgewood, Queens, home of cancer; he was 65. Fellow original Ramones Joey, Dee Dee and Johnny died between 2001 and2004. Erdelyi was originally the New York punk pioneers' manager, but sat behind the kit after Joey moved to lead vocals and a replacement skinsman proved hard to find. Erdelyi was born in Budapest to a Jewish family and arrived in the U.S. in 1957; he played guitar in a garage band with schoolmate and future fellow Ramone Johnny and was working as a recording engineer when the punk progenitors formed. He's widely regarded (despite group writing credits) to have been the primary composer of signature Ramones tune "Blitzkrieg Bop." He split the band in 1977 to concentrate on producing, and worked on records by The Replacements and Redd Kross as well as subsequent Ramones albums. Longtime companion Claudia Tienan and his brother, Peter, are listed as his survivors. A private funeral service is reportedly planned. (7/14a)