Dee Dee Ramone
Dee Dee Ramone
18.09.1951 - 05.06.2002 (50 years) (Fort Lee, Virginia, USA)
Douglas Glenn Colvin (September 18, 1951 – June 5, 2002), known professionally as Dee Dee Ramone, was an American musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter best known for being a founding member of the punk rock band the Ramones, in which he played bass. Throughout the band's existence, Dee Dee was the band's most prolific lyricist and composer, writing many of their best-known songs, such as "53rd & 3rd", "Commando", "Wart Hog", "Rockaway Beach", "Poison Heart" and "Bonzo Goes To Bitburg" (also known as "My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down"). The latter won the New York Music Award for best independent single of the year in 1986, while Animal Boy, which the song is from, won for best album. Dee Dee was initially the band's lead vocalist, though his (then) inability to sing and play bass at the same time resulted in original drummer Joey Ramone taking over the lead vocalist duties (however, he still sang lead vocals in the band on occasion). Dee Dee was the band's bassist and songwriter from 1974 until 1989, when he left to pursue a short-lived career in hip hop music under the name Dee Dee King. He soon returned to his punk roots and released three solo albums featuring brand-new songs, many of which were later recorded by the Ramones. He toured the world playing his new songs, Ramones songs and some old favorites in small clubs, and continued to write songs for the Ramones until 1996, when the band retired. Dee Dee was addicted to drugs for much of his life, particularly heroin. He began using drugs as a teenager and continued to use for the majority of his adult life. He appeared clean in the early 1990s but began using heroin again sometime later. He died on June 5, 2002 after overdosing on the drug.