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I Have Often Walked

Johnny Ramone was a pioneering punk rocker

by Ron Marzlock Chronicle Contributor

John William Cummings was born on Oct. 8, 1948 in Manhattan, the son of Francis “Frank” and Estelle Cummings. In 1949, a new luxury apartment building was erected at 67-38 108 St. called “The Grover Cleveland.” Frank was making good money as a steamfitter and moved the family into the six-story building. John graduated Forest Hills High School in the class of 1966 and later went to work with his father as a plumber.

His passion for music, however, could not be contained. He met future bandmate Doug Colvin, aka Dee Dee Ramone, who also loved the punk bands MC5 and The Stooges, in January 1974. The duo brought in bandmates Jeff Hyman, Rich Stern and Tom Erdelyi. All the members took a new name ending in Ramone.

They played before their first audience on March 30, 1974, and immediately clicked — becoming one the most successful punk bands of all time. Though they disbanded in

1996, Cummings was one of two original members who stayed with the group since its inception. He was listed by Time magazine as one of the 10 greatest electric guitar players. Sadly he passed away at age 55, after a five-year battle with prostate cancer, on Sept. 15, 2004.

His wife, Linda, kept his ashes and there is a cenotaph monument to him at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in California. Q