Tommy Ramone, Last Surviving Original Ramone, Is Dead At 62

Tommy's in the midriff. (Getty)

Tommy Ramone (née Thomas Erdelyi), who co-founded The Ramones and was the last surviving original member, died at his home in Ridgewood, Queens yesterday at the age of 62. His death was confirmed by Dave Frey of Ramones Productions and Silent Partner Management. According to Variety he had been in hospice care following treatment for bile duct cancer.

Originally from Hungary, he was raised in Forest Hills, Queens in the 1950s. There he was in a band called Tangerine Puppets with John Cummings, who would later be known as Johnny Ramone. Along with Jeffrey Hyman (Joey Ramone) and Douglas Colvin (Dee Dee Ramone) they became The Ramones in 1974, the same year they played their first show at CBGB.

While in the band, Tommy played drums on the albums Ramones, Leave Home, and Rocket to Russia. Following that, in 1978, he was replaced by Marky Ramone, but remained a part of the team as management and also helped produce later albums (for other bands, as well). In more recent years he performed with his partner Claudia Tienan, under the name Uncle Monk—the sound far from the machine-gun drumming demanded for The Ramones. It had a more... bluegrass feel.

He was the only surviving original member—Joey died in 2001 of lymphoma, Dee Dee in 2002 of a drug overdose, and Johnny from prostate cancer in 2004. At 57 years old, Tommy's replacement Marky Ramone is still alive.