MOSRITE'S 60TH EVENTS FEATURING RICHIE RAMONE AND CJ RAMONE ON JULY 13-14, 2012

GO TO MAIN PAGE OF MY RAMONES HOMEPAGE.
GO TO INDEX OF SHOW REPORTS.


July 13, 2012, was organised Mosrite 60th Anniversary event at NAMM, Center Stage, Nashville, TN, USA. Mosrite 60th Anniversary Super Live/ Rock'N'Roll Bash Summer '12 show featured Richie Ramone Band, CJ Ramone Band, The Ventures' guitarist Nokie Edwards, Brent Mason (Grammy Award Winner and 12 time ACM Guitarist of the Year), country artist Brian Lonbeck etc. Only 600 pre-sold tickets was sold.
CJ Ramone has his signature Mosrite Original Mark-II Reissue Standard Bass. Visit Mosrite Guitars homepage here.

And in July 14, 2012, CJ Ramone and Richie Ramone performed for the first time together at live at the 60th Anniversary Mosrite Guitar Party at the Hard Rock Cafe in Memphis, TN, USA. They punkrocked Ramones' classic I Just Want To Have Something To Do. It was an private event.
Johnny Ramone bought his first guitar from Manny's Guitar Store on 48th street in NYC, USA. He paid 50 dollars for his Mosrite. Read more background details of Mosrite here.

I (Jari-Pekka Laitio-Ramone) spoke with CJ Ramone in 2005 how much he would like to meet with Richie. Also we spoke of this subject at the Edone in Bergamo, Italy on July 5, 2012, only 8-9 days before Nashville shows. I was in Bergamo at CJ's shows, he played there with his permanent drummer Michael Stamberg and guest guitarist Steve Soto. Read more here.
July 13, 2012, CJ Ramone and Michael Stamberg played set with The Misfits, Black Flag and Osaka Popstar etc. guitarist Dez Cadena. With Richie was playing for example Jiro Okabe. CJ Ramone Band and Richie Ramone Band played both apx. 40 minutes long sets.

COMMENTS BY CJ RAMONE
In Italy, I (Jari-Pekka) promised to send a SMS to Richie and tell how much CJ wants to meet him. CJ and Richie had a great time together in Nashville. CJ Ramone wrote in July 16, 2012.
CJ Ramone: - There ain't much left on my Ramones wish list, but in Nashville I knocked off the biggest one I had. I got on stage with Richie Ramone. Proud moment for me. I spoke with him a couple of times over the weekend and he was cool as can be. Some week ago I run into Mickey Leigh (Joey Ramone's brother) in the studio and played a song with him. Then playing I Just Want To Have Something To Do with Richie, CJ wrote.

COMMENTS BY RICHIE RAMONE
Richie Ramone replied to CJ in July 17, 2012.
Richie Ramone: - We waited way too long to meet each other. Now that the ice has been broken, who knows what can happen. I had a blast and it felt really natural being on stage with you. All the best brother. Talk soon.... P eace, wrote Richie.

COMMENTS BY MICHAEL STAMBERG
CJ's drummer Michael Stamberg wrote also nice things and I asked also him to write some more to my site.
Michael Stamberg: - In Nashville we played I Just Want To Have Something To Do with CJ on bass, Richie singing, Jiro Okabe from Mosrite on guitar, and me on drums. We did one song with Richie. CJ and I did KKK Took My Baby Away and Blitzkrieg Bop with Jiro too. Before that CJ and I did I Wanna Be Sedated and few others with Dez Cadena. It was and is a huge honor to be part of the Mosrite/ Ramones family that weekend. Artists and employees alike were all fantastic to work with and hang out with. I truly feel lucky to have shared the stage with CJ, Dez, Richie, and Jiro, wrote Michael Stamberg to me few days after performance.

COMMENTS BY JIRO OKABE
Also I asked comments from Jiro Okabe.
Jiro Okabe: - Everything went so good for Nashville gigs, we had after gig party live at Hard Rock Cafe and we had made history there, Richie and CJ had first time ever perform together for one song, and I was lucky enough to play guitar with them, Jiro sent comments.




INTERVIEW WITH DANA MOSELEY
And I was happy to receive comments also from Dana Moseley, who is the daughter of Semie and Virgie Moseley. Semie was founder of Mosrite guitars. Read background story of Dana here.
Jari-Pekka Laitio-Ramone: 1) - Dana, can you please write some feelings of both events and how it felt to see Richie and CJ playing together etc.? They also respected Johnny Ramone when thinks his history with the Mosrite.
Dana Moseley - I feel they are both showing respect to Johnny Ramone because he played Mosrite. CJ and Richie are both indorsed by Mosrite. The CJ Ramone Band and the Richie Ramone Band were both scheduled to play at the Mosrite 60th Anniversary Concert on July 13th. CJ and Richie both did great jobs. The concert was rockin'. CJ Ramone Band headline the concert with the Richie Ramone Band right before them. It was a combination of original Ramones. songs. It was awesome.
And on July 14th they were both invited to the Mosrite 60th Anniversary Party. Jiro Okabe asked if they would do a song together as a suprise at the party they agreed and it was incredible. I don't know what the future hold for them. I do know that Mosrite will be a part of CJ Ramone and Richie Ramone if they are together or if they are not. Mosrite Forever!, wrote Dana.

Jari-Pekka 2) - July 14, 2012 event was private?
Dana Moseley - The July 14th event was a private party at the Hard Rock Cafe Nashville. This was an event so that I (Mosrite) could say thank you to everybody that helped with the 60th Anniversary Summer NAMM Show and Mosrite's 60th Anniversary Concert.

Jari-Pekka 3) How long you have known with CJ? Did you met Richie now for the first time? Feel free to write any comments you want of those days...
Dana Moseley - I have known CJ for several years. From when I would go on the road to fix Johnny Ramone's guitar. They would call me their Guitar Lady.
I had talked to Richie on the phone, but it was the first time to meet him personally. They are both now my very good friends.
All Mosrite's 60th Anniversary events were above and beyond my expectations, the highlight being Richie and CJ together for the first time. That was absolutely incredible. Ramones and Mosrite Forever, Dana wrote.




SOME BACKGROUND DETAILS AND HISTORY OF MOSRITE GUITARS

See in right photos taken by me (Jari-Pekka) of Johnny's Ramone's statue (he playing Mosrite) in Los Angeles, USA in 2009.

Here are some background information of Mosrite guitars and why Mosrite has so special place in the Ramones history.
Semie Moseley (1935-1992) was the founder of Mosrite guitars. He was only 17 years old in 1952, when the first Mosrite was built. Semie built his first guitar in a metal shed in Bakersfield, California. By 1963, Semie and his brother Andy Moseley, forged one of the major guitar companies of the 60's. The quality and craftsmanship of the Mosrite was second to none.

Johnny Ramone had inspired many famous musicians to buy and play Mosrite guitars or similar ones. And of course he has influenced people to start playing in general. As Tommy Ramone explains in his interviews in my book Ramones: Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Johnny used to be first a bass guitar player. He stopped playing music and he sold his instruments and everything. Tommy encouraged Johnny to buy an instrument and play music again. Johnny bought his first guitar from Manny's Guitar Store on 48th street in NYC in early 1974. He paid around 50 dollars for his Mosrite. First one was a blue Mosrite Ventures II. It was stolen and he bought another blue one. These two were the same model than the brown Ventures II he bought later etc. etc.

When I and my good friend Randy Wisebrod entered producer Daniel Rey's apartment on May 20, 2003, to do an interview, there was Johnny's white Mosrite that he had used since 1977 until he retired in 1996. It was cool moment to handle it. Also made and featured by Mosrite are the Johnny Ramone Signature Model and standard model. See more infos of it here.
CJ Ramone has his signature Mosrite Original Mark-II Reissue Standard Bass.
On my third book Ramones: Soundtrack Of Our Lives, is one page dedicated to Johnny's guitars / Mosrite's. I speak longer in a book of Mosrite's with some musicians, especially with Andy Cairns of Therapy? Also with Charlie Harper of UK Subs etc.