Marky Ramone

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Marky Ramone
Marky Ramone at Marseille in 2011
Marky Ramone at Marseille in 2011
Background information
Birth nameMarc Steven Bell
Born (1952-07-15) July 15, 1952 (age 69)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
GenresPunk rock, heavy metal, hard rock
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, DJ, actor
InstrumentsDrums, percussion
Years active1971–present
LabelsSire, Warner Music Group, EMI, Rhino
Associated actsRamones, Marky Ramone and the Intruders, Misfits, Dust, Estus, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, Michale Graves, Teenage Head, Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg, Osaka Popstar
Websitemarkyramone.com

Marc Steven Bell (born July 15, 1952) is an American drummer. He began playing in hard rock bands in the New York City area, notably Dust and Estus, He was asked to drum for punk rock band Richard Hell and the Voidoids. He replaced drummer Tommy Ramone in the Ramones in 1978, and went by the stage name Marky Ramone from then on. He played 1700 shows from May 1978 until February 1983, and August 1987 until August 1996. He has also drummed for a number of other punk rock and heavy metal bands, and with his own band Marky Ramone and the Intruders. He continues to keep the Ramones legacy alive around the world with his band Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg.

In 2015 Marky released his autobiography Punk Rock Blitzkrieg: My Life as a Ramone.[1]

He lives in Brooklyn Heights with his wife, Marion Flynn.[2]

Early life[]

According to his autobiography, he and his twin brother Fred were born at New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children on July 15, 1952 and is of Dutch ancestry on his father's side and of French and German ancestry on his mother's side.[3]

Musical career[]

Bell began playing drums in 1971 with the hard rock band Dust, featuring Kenny Aaronson on bass and Richie Wise on guitar, and produced by Kenny Kerner. Bell recorded two albums with the band, before getting into the punk scene. In late 1972, following the death of the New York Dolls' original drummer Billy Murcia, Bell was the only seriously considered alternative to the eventually chosen Jerry Nolan.[4][5] "Jerry and I knew each other," he said. "When Billy died, I went down to the loft where the Dolls were auditioning… I could do different time signatures, different accents, and I basically overplayed it – put in all these drum fills that weren't necessary. And Jerry just kept the beat straight. So Jerry got it and I didn't."[6]

In 1973, Marky joined Estus and recorded an album of the same name, produced by The Rolling Stones' first producer, Andrew Loog Oldham. Bandmates for Estus included Harry Rumpf and Tom and John Nicholas. In the mid-1970s, Bell joined Richard Hell and the Voidoids and played on their first album, Blank Generation. In May 1978, Tommy Ramone asked Bell to join the Ramones; he accepted and was renamed Marky Ramone.

Marky was with the Ramones for the next five years. He starred in the movie Rock 'n' Roll High School, recorded the anthem, "I Wanna be Sedated", and worked with legendary producer Phil Spector. After five albums with Dee Dee, Joey, and Johnny Ramone, Marky was asked to leave the band in February 1983 because of a drinking problem. He was replaced by Richie Ramone who was himself replaced four years later by Clem Burke of Blondie, who was asked to leave only after two shows. Marky returned clean and sober in August 1987, and played 1700 shows and recorded 10 studio albums with the band until their retirement in August 1996.[7]

In 1996, Marky joined Dee Dee Ramone to form the Ramainz, performing Ramones songs.

In 2000, Marky joined Joey to record Joey's solo album, entitled Don't Worry About Me. Joey told talk show host Joe Franklin that Marky was his favorite drummer along with Keith Moon.

In 1997 and 1999 Marky recorded two albums with his solo band Marky Ramone & the Intruders. In 2001, he was presented with a lifetime achievement award from MTV by U2 singer Bono. In September 2004, Ramone served as Executive Producer and released a Ramones DVD entitled Ramones: Raw on Image Entertainment, which featured footage of the band while on tour all over the world along with other various rare, vintage footage. Much of the candid footage is courtesy of Marky Ramone's personal video library. Ramones: Raw is the only certified Gold selling Ramones DVD and one of only two US gold selling releases in the Ramone entire catalog, the other being the greatest hits double LP Ramones Mania, released in 1988. Ramones: Raw is also the highest charting release in Ramones history.

On April 22, 2008, Marky Ramone appeared on a new CD in Canada playing drums with the Canadian punk band called Teenage Head.[8] The CD is called Teenage Head with Marky Ramone and it was released in the USA on June 10, 2008.

Marky on drums with Ken Stringfellow singing into a microphone
Ramone and Ken Stringfellow, 2016

Radio career[]

Since 2005, he has hosted the show Punk Rock Blitzkrieg on Sirius XM. The show was originally aired on Faction (formerly Channel 41), but has since been moved to 1st Wave (Channel 33) following the launch of Turbo on Channel 41 and the relocation of Faction to Channel 314 as an Xtra Channel. The show has been renamed to Marky Ramone's 1st Wave Blitzkrieg.[9][10] In April 2018, Marky Ramone's Punk Rock Blitzkrieg launched as a 24/7 channel (Channel 712) available online only for Sirius XM subscribers. The channel features previously aired recordings of Marky Ramone's 1st Wave Blitzkrieg.

TV appearances[]

  • In 1993, Marky Ramone appeared with the Ramones in the episode "Rosebud" of The Simpsons.[11]
  • In October 2001, Marky appeared on MTV accepting his lifetime achievement award presented by Bono of U2.
  • Ramone appeared on Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations twice. On the 2007 Cleveland episode, he ate with Bourdain at the Michael Symon restaurant Lola and also toured the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Bourdain said Bell approved of the Ramones exhibit. On the 2010 "No Reservations Holiday Special," the two gather around a table and discuss what they want from Santa Claus (he wanted a hard-to-get Italian sports car).
  • In 2017 Ramone voiced a cartoon version of himself For Cartoon Network's Series Uncle Grandpa on the season 5 episode "Late Night Good Morning with Uncle Grandpa"
  • In 2017 Ramone appeared on the AMC show Comic Book Men where he showed a piece of art he had created: a toy robot composed of old cell-phones.

Business ventures[]

  • In 2009 he teamed up with Tommy Hilfiger's, Hilfiger Denim to launch his own clothing line consisting of leather jackets, jeans, and T-shirts, and his own beer line.
  • He also has his own line of pasta sauce, "Marky Ramone's Brooklyn's Own Pasta Sauce."[12]

Books[]

In 2015 Marky released his autobiography Punk Rock Blitzkrieg: My Life as a Ramone.[1]

Awards[]

  • Marky Ramone's hand prints are on the Hollywood Rock Walk.
  • In March 2002, Marky Ramone was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, at New York's Waldorf Astoria as a Ramone
  • Marky Ramone is the only living Ramone who won the lifetime achievement award from the Grammy Awards for 2011.

Discography[]

The following is a list of albums and singles Marky Ramone has played on.

With Dust:

With Estus:

  • 1973 – Estus

With The Voidoids:

  • 1976 – "Another World" (single)
  • 1977 – "Blank Generation" (single)
  • 1977 – Blank Generation (album)

With the Ramones:

With Marky Ramone and the Intruders:

  • 1994 – "Coward with the Gun" (single)
  • 1996 – Marky Ramone & The Intruders
  • 1999 – The Answer To Your Problems?[13]
  • 2006 – Start of the Century (disc 1)

With Dee Dee Ramone:

  • 1989 – Standing in the Spotlight (album)
  • 1997 – "I Am Seeing U.F.O's" (single)
  • 1997 – Zonked/Ain't It Fun (album)[14]

With The Ramainz:

  • 1999 – Live in N.Y.C. (live album)

With Joey Ramone:

  • 2001 – "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)" (single)
  • 2002 – "What a Wonderful World" (single)
  • 2002 – Don't Worry (album)
  • 2002 – Christmas Spirit... In My House (EP CD)
  • 2001 – No If's, And's or But's (album)
  • 2002 – Legends Bleed (album)[15]

With Misfits:

  • 2003 - Project 1950

With Osaka Popstar:

Solo:

  • 2006 – Start of the Century (disc two, live performances)

With Cherie Currie:

  • 2007– Cherry Bomb

With Teenage Head:

  • 2008 – Teenage Head with Marky Ramone

With Bluesman:

  • 2008 – "Stop Thinking" (single)

With Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg:

  • 2010 – "When We Were Angels" (single)
  • 2011 – "If and When" (single)

Filmography[]

Music video[]

Marky Ramone produced, with Callicore Studio two animated videos, illustrating two songs from the Marky Ramone and The Intruders albums.

  • 2015 – "I Wanna Win The Lottery"
  • 2016 – "I Want My Beer"

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Marky Ramone Exclusive: Read an Excerpt From 'Punk Rock Blitzkrieg'". rollingstone.com. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  2. ^ La Gorce, Tammy (December 14, 2019). "How Marky Ramone, Punk Rocker, Spends His Sundays". NY Times. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  3. ^ Ramone, Marky; Punk Rock Blitzkrieg, Chapter 1. ISBN 1451687753.
  4. ^ The New York Dolls: Too Much Too Soon, Nina Antonia, Omnibus Press 1998, 2003 edition, p69
  5. ^ "Cast and Crew: Marky Ramone". IFC.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2011. Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  6. ^ Fortnam, Ian: "Heavy load"; Classic Rock #216, November 2015, p138
  7. ^ "Marky Ramone". Ramones.com. Retrieved September 1, 2006.
  8. ^ "Features – Alternative Press". Altpress.com. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  9. ^ "Marky Ramone hosts punk show on sirius radio". Pastemagazine.com. April 9, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  10. ^ "SiriusXM Faction". www.facebook.com.
  11. ^ "Marky Ramone". Fasterlouder.com.au. April 9, 2009. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  12. ^ "Marky Ramone". Marky Ramone. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  13. ^ The South American version of The Answer To Your Problems? was titled Don't Blame Me.
  14. ^ The United States version of Zonked was titled Ain't It Fun.
  15. ^ Legends Bleed is the United States title for No If's, And's or But's.


External links[]

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