Marky Ramone

Marky Ramone is renowned for his influential 15-year tenure as the drummer of the legendary Ramones. Prior to joining the Ramones, Marky showcased his musical prowess by collaborating with notable musicians, tracing back to his high school days as a member of the Brooklyn-based hard rock band, Dust. Together with Richie Wise (guitar and vocals) and Kenny Aaronson (bass), Marky recorded two albums for Neil Bogart’s Karma Sutra/Buddha label.

During his time at Max’s Kansas City, Marky crossed paths with Wayne County, the house DJ. Combining their talents, they formed Wayne County and The Backstreet Boys, gathering a dedicated cult following through Wayne’s provocative stage presence and cross-dressing. Despite their local success, the band struggled to attract record label interest and eventually decided to move on.

In 1976, Marky connected with Richard Hell, Bob Quine, and Ivan Julian to form Richard Hell & the Voidoids. Their debut album, “Blank Generation,” released in 1977 on Sire Records, made a significant impact. Following a successful UK tour with The Clash, Marky found himself at CBGB’s bar conversing with Dee Dee Ramone. Dee Dee invited him to join The Ramones.

In the spring of 1978, Marky officially became a member of The Ramones. In a matter of weeks, he was in the studio recording their first album together, “Road to Ruin,” which featured the iconic Ramones track, “I Wanna Be Sedated.” The following year, they filmed the cult classic movie “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” and collaborated with legendary producer Phil Spector on “End Of The Century.”

After numerous tours and additional studio albums, Marky briefly left the band in 1983 but rejoined his bandmates in 1987 until their disbandment in 1996. Throughout his 15-year tenure with The Ramones, Marky performed over 1700 shows and contributed to more than 15 releases. Notably, he received songwriting credits on both “Mondo Bizarro” and “Adios Amigos,” the band’s farewell album.

In 2000, Marky reunited with longtime friend Joey Ramone to collaborate on Joey’s solo effort, “Don’t Worry About Me.” The following year, Marky and his former bandmates (Johnny, Dee Dee, and Tommy) were inducted into the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame, with U2’s Bono presenting them with the MTV Lifetime Achievement Award.

Marky’s personal footage compilation DVD, “Raw,” released in 2004, achieved significant success, reaching number 5 on the Billboard video chart. It received gold certification in three countries and remains the best-selling Ramones DVD to date.

Expanding his horizons, Marky launched a clothing line in collaboration with Hilfiger Denim in 2009. In 2010, he shared his pasta sauce recipe with the introduction of Marky Ramone’s Brooklyn’s Own Pasta Sauce.

The Ramones received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in February 2010, marking their first Grammy win as punk rock pioneers.

Marky Ramone continues to tour worldwide with his band, Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg, demonstrating no signs of slowing down. Additionally, he has been hosting “Marky Ramone’s Punk Rock Blitzkrieg” on SiriusXM Satellite Radio for over 17 years. Marky has also made appearances on various TV shows, including The Simpsons, Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, and ZRock.