Marky Ramone

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Marky Ramone

| image = Marky Ramone by foto-di-matti 0083.jpg

| caption = Ramone in 2009

| birth_name = Marc Steven Bell

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|7|15}}

| birth_place = New York City, U.S.

| instrument = Drums, percussion

| genre = Punk rock, heavy metal, hard rock

| occupation = Musician, actor

| years_active = 1971–present

| associated_acts = Ramones, Marky Ramone and the Intruders, Misfits, Dust, Estus, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, Michale Graves, Teenage Head, Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg, Osaka Popstar

| website = {{URL|markyramone.com}}

}}

Marc Steven Bell (born July 15, 1952) is an American drummer. He began playing in hard rock bands in the New York City area, notably Dust and Estus. He was asked to drum for punk rock band Richard Hell and the Voidoids. He replaced drummer Tommy Ramone in the Ramones, and became the band's drummer across two stints, between 1978 and 1983, and from 1987 until the band's retirement in 1996, went by the stage name Marky Ramone from then on, and became the band's longest-serving drummer. He has also played drums for other punk rock and heavy metal bands, including his own band Marky Ramone and the Intruders. He continues to keep the Ramones legacy alive around the world with his band Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg, which inspired by the one of the Ramones's hit single "Blitzkrieg Bop".

Ramone lives in Brooklyn Heights with his wife, Marion Flynn.{{cite news |last1=La Gorce |first1=Tammy |title=How Marky Ramone, Punk Rocker, Spends His Sundays |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/nyregion/how-marky-ramone-punk-rocker-spends-his-sundays.html |access-date=February 13, 2019 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 14, 2019}} In 2015, he released his autobiography Punk Rock Blitzkrieg: My Life as a Ramone.

Early life

According to his autobiography, he and his twin brother Fred were born at New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children on July 15, 1952; he is of Dutch ancestry on his father's side and French and Boyan on his mother's side.{{cite book |last=Ramone |first=Marky |title=Punk Rock Blitzkrieg |chapter=Chapter 1 |date=January 13, 2015 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1451687750}}

Music career

Bell began playing drums in 1971 with the hard rock band Dust, featuring Kenny Aaronson on bass and Richie Wise on guitar, and produced by Kenny Kerner. Bell recorded two albums with the band, before getting into the punk scene. In late 1972, following the death of the New York Dolls' original drummer Billy Murcia, Bell was the only seriously considered alternative to the eventually chosen Jerry Nolan.{{cite book |title=The New York Dolls: Too Much Too Soon |first=Nina |last=Antonia |publisher=Omnibus Press |orig-date=1998 |date=2003 |page=69}}{{cite web |url=http://www.ifc.com/zrock/cast/marky-ramone.php |title=Cast and Crew: Marky Ramone |website=IFC.com |access-date=March 8, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110509042128/http://www.ifc.com/zrock/cast/marky-ramone.php |archive-date=May 9, 2011}} "Jerry and I knew each other," he said. "When Billy died, I went down to the loft where the Dolls were auditioning… I could do different time signatures, different accents, and I basically overplayed it – put in all these drum fills that weren't necessary. And Jerry just kept the beat straight. So Jerry got it and I didn't."{{cite magazine |last=Fortnam |first=Ian |title=Heavy Load |magazine=Classic Rock |number=216 |date=November 2015 |page=138}}

In 1973, Marky joined Estus and recorded an album of the same name, produced by the Rolling Stones' first producer, Andrew Loog Oldham. Bandmates for Estus included Harry Rumpf and Tom and John Nicholas. In the mid-1970s, Bell joined Wayne County & The Backstreet Boys, then moved onto Richard Hell and the Voidoids and played on their first album, Blank Generation. In May 1978, Tommy Ramone asked Bell to join the Ramones; he accepted and was renamed Marky Ramone.

Marky was with the Ramones for the next five years. He starred in the movie Rock 'n' Roll High School, recorded the anthem, "I Wanna be Sedated", and worked with producer Phil Spector. After five albums with Dee Dee, Joey, and Johnny Ramone, Marky was asked to leave the band in February 1983 because of a drinking problem. He was replaced by Richie Ramone who was himself replaced four years later by Clem Burke of Blondie (under the name Elvis Ramone), who was asked to leave after only two shows. Marky returned clean and sober in August 1987, and in total, he played 1,700 shows and recorded eight studio albums with the band (the most records amongst the band's drummers) until their retirement in August 1996.{{cite web |title=Marky Ramone |url=http://www.ramones.com |website=Ramones.com |access-date=September 1, 2006}}

File:Marky Ramone and Ken Stringfellow, 2016.jpg, 2016]]

In 1996, Marky joined Dee Dee Ramone to form the Ramainz, performing Ramones songs.

In 2000, Marky joined Joey to record Joey's solo album, entitled Don't Worry About Me. Joey told talk show host Joe Franklin that Marky was his favorite drummer along with Keith Moon.

In 1997 and 1999, Marky recorded two albums with his solo band Marky Ramone and the Intruders.

In 2001, he was presented with a lifetime achievement award from MTV by U2 singer Bono.

In September 2004, Ramone served as executive producer and released a Ramones DVD entitled Ramones: Raw, which featured footage of the band while on tour all over the world along with other various rare, vintage footage. Much of the candid footage is courtesy of Marky Ramone's personal video library. Ramones: Raw is the only certified gold-selling Ramones DVD and one of only two US gold selling releases in the Ramone entire catalog, the other being the greatest hits double LP Ramones Mania. Ramones: Raw is also the highest charting release in Ramones history.

On April 22, 2008, Marky Ramone appeared on a new CD in Canada playing drums with the Canadian punk band Teenage Head.{{cite web |url=http://www.altpress.com/features/171.htm |title=Web Exclusive: A conversation with Marky Ramone |first=Scott |last=Heisel |date=3 June 2008 |website=Alternative Press |access-date=July 13, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219003004/http://www.altpress.com/features/171.htm |archive-date=February 19, 2009}} The CD was called Teenage Head with Marky Ramone; it was released in the USA on June 10, 2008.

Other work

= Radio =

Since 2005, he has hosted the show Punk Rock Blitzkrieg on Sirius XM. The show was originally aired on Faction (formerly Channel 41), but has since been moved to 1st Wave (Channel 33) following the launch of Turbo on Channel 41 and the relocation of Faction to Channel 314 as an Xtra Channel. The show has been renamed to Marky Ramone's 1st Wave Blitzkrieg.{{cite web |url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2005/09/marky-ramone-hosts-punk-show-on-sirius-radio.html |title=Marky Ramone hosts punk show on Sirius Radio |website=Paste |date=April 9, 2009 |access-date=June 29, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924065340/http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2005/09/marky-ramone-hosts-punk-show-on-sirius-radio.html |archive-date=September 24, 2015}}{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/RadioFaction/posts/1526757757363412 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/110943958944806/1526757757363412 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|title=SiriusXM Faction |website=Facebook.com}}{{cbignore}} In April 2018, Marky Ramone's Punk Rock Blitzkrieg launched as a 24/7 channel (Channel 712) available online only for Sirius XM subscribers. The channel features previously aired recordings of Marky Ramone's 1st Wave Blitzkrieg.

= Television =

In 1993, Ramone appeared with the Ramones in the episode "Rosebud" of The Simpsons.{{cite web |url=http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/features/17928/Marky-Ramone.htm |title=Marky Ramone |first=Albert |last=Santos |website=Faster Louder |date=April 9, 2009 |access-date=July 13, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006065551/http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/features/17928/Marky-Ramone.htm |archive-date=October 6, 2012}}
In October 2001, Ramone appeared on MTV accepting his lifetime achievement award presented by Bono of U2.
Ramone appeared on Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations twice. On the 2007 Cleveland episode, he ate with Bourdain at the Michael Symon restaurant Lola and also toured the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Bourdain said Bell approved of the Ramones exhibit. On the 2010 "No Reservations Holiday Special", the two gather around a table and discuss what they want from Santa Claus (he wanted a hard-to-get Italian sports car).
In 2017, Ramone voiced a cartoon version of himself for Cartoon Network's series Uncle Grandpa on the season 5 episode "Late Night Good Morning with Uncle Grandpa".
In 2017, Ramone appeared on the AMC show Comic Book Men where he showed a piece of art he had created: a toy robot composed of old cell-phones.

= Business =

In 2009, Ramone teamed up with Tommy Hilfiger's Hilfiger Denim to launch his own clothing line consisting of leather jackets, jeans and T-shirts, and his own beer line.
He has his own line of pasta sauce, "Marky Ramone's Brooklyn's Own Pasta Sauce".{{cite web |url=http://www.markyramone.com/ |title=Marky Ramone |website=Marky Ramone |access-date=July 13, 2014}}

= Books =

In 2015, Ramone released his autobiography Punk Rock Blitzkrieg: My Life as a Ramone.{{cite magazine |date=January 7, 2015 |title=Marky Ramone Exclusive: Read an Excerpt From 'Punk Rock Blitzkrieg' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/marky-ramone-exclusive-read-an-excerpt-from-punk-rock-blitzkrieg-20150107 |access-date=June 29, 2015 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}

Discography

= Solo =

With Marky Ramone and the Intruders

1996: Marky Ramone & the Intruders
1999: The Answer to Your Problems?The South American version of The Answer to Your Problems? was titled Don't Blame Me.

With Mark Ramone and the Speed Kings

2001: No If's, And's or But's (album)Legends Bleed is the United States expanded reissue of No If's, And's or But's.

Compilation

2006: Start of the Century (disc 1 with the Intruders, disc 2 solo live)

= Band work =

With Dust

1971: Dust
1972: Hard Attack

With Estus

1973: Estus

With The Voidoids

1977: Blank Generation

With the Ramones

1978: Road to Ruin
1979: Rock 'n' Roll High School soundtrack
1980: End of the Century
1981: Pleasant Dreams
1983: Subterranean Jungle
1989: Brain Drain
1992: Loco Live (Live)
1992: Mondo Bizarro
1993: Acid Eaters
1995: ¡Adios Amigos!
1996: Greatest Hits Live (live)
1997: We're Outta Here! (live)

With The Ramainz:

1999: Live in N.Y.C. (live)

With Misfits:

2003: Project 1950

With Osaka Popstar:

2006: Osaka Popstar and the American Legends of Punk

With Teenage Head:

2008: Teenage Head with Marky Ramone

= Session work =

With Dee Dee Ramone:

1989: Standing in the Spotlight
1997: Zonked/Ain't It FunThe United States version of Zonked was titled Ain't It Fun.

With Joey Ramone:

2001: "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)"
2002: Don't Worry About Me (album)

With Cherie Currie:

2007 – Cherry Bomb

With Bluesman:

2008: "Stop Thinking" (single){{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}

With Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg:

2010: "When We Were Angels" (single)
2011: "If and When" (single)

= Music videos =

Ramone produced, with Callicore Studio, two animated videos illustrating two songs from the Marky Ramone and the Intruders albums.

2015: "I Wanna Win the Lottery"
2016: "I Want My Beer"

Filmography

1979: Rock 'n' Roll High School (himself)
1980: Blank Generation (member of the Voidoids)
1993: Ramones – Around the World (himself, director, producer)
1994: Space Ghost Coast to Coast (himself)
1997: We're Outta Here! (himself)
2002: The Brooklyn Boys (Tommy)
2003: End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones (himself)
2004: Ramones: Raw (himself)
2010: Lemmy (himself)
2017: Uncle Grandpa Voice Role (himself)

Awards

Ramone's hand prints are on the Hollywood Rock Walk.
In March 2002, Ramone was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at New York's Waldorf Astoria as a Ramone.
Marky Ramone is the only living Ramone who won the lifetime achievement award from the Grammy Awards for 2011.