FUSE TV - Exclusive: Linda Ramone on Johnny Ramone's Life and Legacy

Johnny Ramone, founding member of the Ramones, aka the most influential punk band in history, hardly minced words or suffered fools while he was alive. So it's only natural that his recently released autobiography, Commando, reads like he spoke: quick, blunt and to the point. When he died of prostate cancer in 2004, an integral part of rock history went with him, but not before Ramone, an obsessive listmaker and collector, recorded the band's history, naming names, sh**ting on Ramones albums he didn't like and discussing his journey from Queens street punk to musical icon to retired rock star.

Linda Ramone, Johnny's widow, has been there for virtually the whole ride, first as singer Joey Ramone's girlfriend followed by a much longer stint as Johnny's wife. She continues to preserve Johnny's legacy with the Johnny Ramone Army and as overseer of the guitarist's estate. Fuse spoke with her about the book, the band's tumultuous history and why it's always cooler to be in a cult band.  

How did the original idea of a book come together?

Linda Ramone: There was five years of interviews from all over, but the last couple of years when Johnny was sick and knew he was going to die, he started doing more interviews on tape recorders. We interviewed lots of Johnny’s friends and when we went to put the book together, it wasn’t sounding like Johnny to me. So we took out all the friends. I didn’t need other people talking about Johnny. I had Johnny talking about Johnny. It made the book much more powerful.

The book's tone really feels like Johnny's in the room with you

We had his closest friends saying that to me all the time. Pete Yorn and Eddie Vedder said, “I feel like I’m sitting with Johnny; like I was talking to Johnny.” That’s what Johnny wanted when he was writing the book; he wanted everybody to understand him, read the book and find out who he is.

Johnny died in 2004. Why has it taken so long for the book to come out?

It’s been eight years, but the first year Johnny passed away, I started getting sued by the corporation and all these different ex-Ramones. It was really difficult to get my half together and be on top of my game. It was just much easier to do Johnny Ramone because with the Ramones, I have a partner—Joey’s brother—and it’s not always the easiest thing to get along with a partner.

Did you want the book to be released earlier?

Not really. You know why? I always wanted Johnny to have the last say. It did take that long because the ex-wives and ex-thises; everybody started writing their book and I always knew Johnny’s book was so powerful that it…

Johnny was the only original Ramone from beginning to end who could write about the band like that. This is his band. This is Joey’s band. They were in it from beginning to end. Everyone says they didn’t get along, but they stayed in from day one to the last day. Like, what do you mean they don’t get along? They get along enough to be in the band for all those 30 years.

Was there anything revealed in those five years of interviews that Johnny thought was too personal to include in the book?

No, ‘cause Johnny didn’t hold back. Like he would say, whatever he'd say then, he would say now. He never once looked at me and went, "Linda, should I say that?” Johnny knew what Johnny was gonna say and whether you like him or not, Johnny really didn’t care at the end. He was a super loyal friend and that’s why everybody came around. We didn’t have children. We didn’t have a family. All our friends were our family.

There's a touching photo in the book of Eddie Vedder, Rob Zombie and others at Johnny's grave

Yeah, the day Johnny died, he still knew exactly what was going on. Eddie was staying at the house and he said to me that morning, “I don’t want you and Eddie to go to lunch. I want you to be here.” He spoke to [friend] Lisa Marie Presley on the phone and said, “I want you to come over today and he went to sleep.” Then everybody else started piling in and sitting around him, but nobody really spoke to Johnny again. He was just asleep with all of us and then passed away. So Johnny knew he was going to pass away that day. He decided that was the day.

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