8TH ANNUAL JOHNNY RAMONE TRIBUTE AT THE HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY, LOS ANGELES, CA, USA ON AUGUST 19, 2012



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Copyright 2012 -> : Text collected by Jari-Pekka Laitio-Ramone.
Photos by: Justjared.com, Big Wheel Magazine and Examiner.com /Ella Batalon.



The 8th annual Johnny Ramone Tribute event was organized at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, CA, USA, on August 19, 2012. Cemetery is where a statue in honor of Johnny was unveiled by his wife Linda on January 14, 2005. Dee Dee Ramone's grave is in the same cemetery not far from Johnny's statue. Johnny's statue and Dee Dee's grave were neatly decorated for this event.
Tommy Ramone was only of the surviving Ramones members who attended event. Tommy was in really good mood and chatted a lot with fans. As you know, Tommy is only surviving founding member (drummer) and original manager and also producer. See here details of his and Claudia Tienan's duo band Uncle Monk.


If you bought a copy of Johnny Ramone's book Commando: The Autobiography Of Johnny Ramone at the event, you got chance to get it signed by many musicians and other people. Behind table were sitting and signing Tommy Ramone, Johnny's wife Linda, John Cafiero (editor of Johnny's book and singer of Osaka Popstar), Steve Jones (Sex Pistols), Henry Rollins (Black Flag, Rollins Band), Slim Jim Phantom (Stray Cats), Billy Zoom (band X), and PJ Soles (Riff Randell of "Ramones movie" Rock And Roll High School).
Other people who attended event included Dita Von Teese, Joe Escalante (Vandals), London May (Samhain), actor Rose McGowan and Stan Lee (Dickies). Von Teese is an American burlesque dancer, model, costume designer, and actress. And Marilyn Manson's ex-wife.


A very special guest was Priscilla Presley. Priscilla was Elvis Presley's wife. This was even more poignant considering event was during the weeklong Graceland celebration of the 35th anniversary of Elvis' death.
Priscilla's and Elvis' child Lisa Marie Presley was scheduled to make an appearance but she was not seen at the event. Lisa Marie was a very good friend with Johnny and also penned the Epilogue in Commando: The Autobiography Of Johnny Ramone.
At the event were shown photos and they included many of Johnny and Lisa Marie together.


I saw video of Priscilla's speech. Priscilla shared thoughs of her daughters relationship with the Ramone family and how Johnny and Linda have always been very important to Lisa Marie.
Priscilla did mention Johnny book having also Top-10 listing of Johnny's favorite Elvis films. In most of her speech Priscilla concentrated to introduce the nights film, Johnny's favorite King Creole (1958).
Priscilla said King Creole and Jailhouse Rock (1957) being probably the best two movies in Elvis' career. Also Elvis thought King Creole is his best movie. Priscilla discussed the circumstances surrounding the making of King Creole and how production was able to continue filming as The US Army allowed Elvis an extension before he was drafted into the army.
She told to the audience King Creole is directed by Michael Curtiz, man who was the director also for Casablanca. Great names involved in King Creole included Carolyn Jones and Walter Matthau.
Priscilla said Elvis really liked of actors James Dean, Humphrey Bogart and Marlon Brando and loved all their movies and wanted to do something similar.


In one interview during this night Tommy Ramone said him meeting Johnny for the first time at the Forest Hills High School cafeteria (Queens, NY, USA), he appreciated Johnny's unique charisma, great sense of humor etc... From Tommy was also asked situation of punkrock at the moment. Tommy said punkrock will cycle in its every generation because young kids needs something like that. Every generation will have punkrock movement.


Also at the event were shown clips of Ramones promo videos and performances of Do You Remember Rock And Roll Radio, Rock And Roll High School, We Want The Airwaves, Psycho Therapy, Howling At The Moon (Sha-La-La), I Wanna Live, Pet Sematary, Blitzkrieg Bop, I Don't Want To Grow Up, Spiderman, It's Not My Place (In The 9 To 5 World)...
Music to suit the occasion was punked throughout the cemetery grounds by DJ Howie Pyro (D-Generation, Danzig, Intoxica Radio etc.).
Admission was 10 US$. Net proceeds benefit the Johnny Ramone Research fund at USC Westside Prostate Cancer Center lead by Dr. David Agus. Agus attended event.


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