JOEY RAMONE'S ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME AWARD RE-PRESENTED IN NEW YORK ON MAY 14, 2009

BACK.

Copyright 2008 -> : Text and photos: Mark Bannister and Jari-Pekka Laitio-Ramone.

Background information by Jari-Pekka: The 17th annual Rock And Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City on March 18, 2002. 2002 was for Ramones first year of eligibility. Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam was it, who inducted the Ramones into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Eddie made a 20-minute induction speech, and appeared with a mohawk haircut and a Ramones T-shirt. Johnny, Joey, Tommy, Dee Dee, and Marky were inducted in a ceremony. When The Ramones took the stage to accept the award, Johnny went first; he had a short speech, followed by Marky. Dee Dee's speech was hilarious, and with punk brevity, said: "I'd like to congratulate myself and thank myself and give myself a big pat on the back". Joey's mother Charlotte and brother Mickey were also in the audience. Joey's award sat on the podium, unspoken for. ...After seven years, on May 14, 2009: Correcting any mistake always is. Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame stepped up to do the right thing. The re-presentation of Joey's award took place at the NYC Annex of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on May 14th at 3PM. Ramones manager Danny Fields, and Hall Of Fame president Joel Peresman presented the award. Tommy Ramone and Joey's brother Mickey Leigh accepted it behalf of our Joey.

Following story is written by Mark Bannister of that event on May 14, 2009.

I only heard about this Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame event for Joey Ramone the day before. Luckily, the NYC Annex of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is only a few a few blocks from where I was staying. The first person I saw when I got there was Daniel Rey (Ramones procuder/ guitarist in The Martinets), I was having a chat with him when Arturo Vega (Ramones creative director) joined us. I asked Arturo if he was still interested in all my old Ramones T-shirts for his 'museum'. A few years ago, Arturo wanted my vintage tour T-shirts in exchange for new ones from his website. I was interested in loaning them to him but I didn't want to trade them for new ones. Now he couldn't even remember asking me! Daniel said "Hang onto your shirts, they're collector's items". Of course.

Anyway, the place was beginning to get a bit more crowded and eventually everyone was asked to move into the screening room where Arturo Vega had erected a poster of Joey. Just looking around, I could see Andy Shernoff (The Dictators) and Richie Stotts (The Plasmatics) sitting with Daniel Rey behind me. Legs McNeil (writer of Please Kill Me book etc.) came over to them and claimed not to recognise Richie without his mohican. Lenny Kaye, Lee Black Childers, Bob Gruen, Donna Gaines, George Seminara etc. etc. took their seats as Mickey Leigh, Tommy Ramone, Monte Melnick, Arturo etc. congregated in the far corner waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Joel Peresman, who introduced himself as President of the Hall Of Fame, asked for quiet and then made a brief speech, apologising on behalf of the Hall Of Fame for screwing up the original presentation and how glad he was that they had a chance to rectify their wrongdoing. Joel introduced Legs McNeil who made a brief speech, saying that Joey would have been madder at the Hall Of Fame for ignoring Alice Coopper, The Stooges and Kiss than he would have been because they messed up his presentation and reminded us that Joey had triumphed over adversity and illness to become a Rock and Roll star and role model.

Then Handsome Dick Manitoba (The Dictators) who had just arrived was handed the mic. He joked about the non-punk rock bicycle helmet he was still clutching and the non-punk rock Gucci reading glasses he was about to put on to read his notes. He paid tribute to Joey and joked that maybe one day The Dictators would be considered for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Danny Fields (early Ramones manager) then said how appropriate it was that we were on Mercer Street across the road from where the Ramones had first watched the New York Dolls perform. He joked about how bad the Dolls were. Danny joked about being kicked off the Hall Of Fame committee for being "too old" and emphasised that it was a procedural mistake on behalf of the Hall Of Fame itself and NOT Johnny Ramone's fault that Mickey and Charlotte were not invited to the stage to collect Joey's statuette at the Waldorf Astoria in 2002.

Joel then passed the statuette to Danny who invited Mickey and Tommy to accept it on Joey's behalf, to great applause.

Mickey emphasised how much the Hall Of Fame induction would have meant to Joey and how much he would have loved the idea of the Annex on Mercer Street. Mickey said Joey would have preferred this event over the one at the Waldorf Astoria in 2002 because we were "below 14th Street' and because he would have been surrounded by friends, family and fans rather than "a bunch of record company people".

Mickey then introduced Tommy, saying: "Here's someone I first met when I was ten years old". Tommy Ramone re-emphasised how much all this would have meant to Joey and clarified a joke Danny had made about The Dolls, insisting that the Ramones all loved The Dolls.

Then there was applause, hand-shakes, back-slaps and smiles exchanged all around as Mickey, Tommy, Handsome Dick, Legs and Monte walked through the museum to pose for photos in front of the CBGB apron in the 'New York' room.



Copyright 2009 -> : Text and photos: Mark Bannister. Thanks Mark.

BACK.