RAMONES: INTERVIEW WITH CJ RAMONE

INTERVIEW WITH CJ RAMONE

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Copyright© 2001 for everything in this page by Jari-Pekka Laitio-Ramone and Maggie St. Thomas.

Interview by Maggie St. Thomas: August 2001

" I would like to let the readers of these interviews know that my opinions and beleifs, perceptions and views are not necessarily shared with the remaining Ramones in these interviews. There are many sides to many stories, and my goal was to inform fellow Ramones fans what the Ramones have been up to since they disbanded in 96'. Some of the content you will read is pretty hurtful at Mickey (Joey's brother) and his involvement with Joey's 50th birthday bash. I would like to say that I haven't any problems with Mickey and can only say that from my experiences with him, he's always been a very nice guy and I think it is only fair to get Mickey's side for the readers, so you will be able to make your own "educated" decisions about the events and other info in the future. Thank you! (Maggie St.Thomas) "
Also I just wanna share this interview with you fans (Jari-Pekka).

Maggie St. Thomas: What was your relationship like with Joey before his passing?

CJ Ramone: It was a good relationship which is why Im pretty fuckin pissed about the whole birthday bash for Joey thing. He was my friend. I mean, we had some problems, but there was no major fights or anything like that. We really were a family, but it was Joey and I who had the least problems within the band and his death really affected me. I was actually one of the 1st people to know that he was sick. I remember when he told me. Grieving was personal for me; its definitely a personal matter, and all these magazines would be calling here asking me for comments when he died. It was horrible! But I was kind of counting on that night to have been my last hurrah for Joey; you know. I was counting on that being my final goodbye. But I got totally cheated out of it. I got fucking cheated, and youre the first person I've ever mentioned any of this to, or talked to about it. I almost wanted to call up Howard Stern and tell him Listen, if you want the real deal, the real story, Ill tell you the truth. The Ramones were disinvited! . You know, as a band we would have never gotten back together, but we were all going to do this thing for Joey. We thought about playing a full set and having the spotlight on the microphone. You know, put his legend into full perspective, cause that's what he was. We could have done something really great that night. Im not trying to make anyone else look bad, Im just giving you the cold facts because I know what they are. It was just a really sad fuckin story. The fans really got cheated on what could have been a major part of the musical history of The Ramones. Whatever anybody else tells you about Johnny being sick, or that Marky was outta town, or whatever, all that is bullshit! What I just told you is exact. They decided that they did not want us playing there and they chose to disinvite us.
Maggie St. Thomas: Ouch! Im speechless. I didnt know that! Id have to say that it was a pretty good night, very memorable. But if The Ramones had played, Wow! That would have been pure madness!

CJ Ramone: See, Joeys family was a collection of friends and all the fuckin freaks and weirdos he made friends with over the years that were close to him. He had stronger ties with his music family than he did with his blood family because they all tried to fuck him over so much. Imagine trying to capitalize on your brothers death to launch a career that you never even had. Well, Mickeys trying to use Joeys death as a vehicle. We were only invited if he could sing on the mic, almost like trying to replace Joey. And its really sad because regardless, we should have had the chance to put Joeys legend into proper perspective after his death. If we had the opportunity to really put his life in perspective for the fans it would have really been something big. But instead, it was like a blurb in Rolling Stone Magazine. The fans really got cheated, I mean the people that went were happy with the way things went, but that was nothing compared to what it could have been. It wasnt climactic. The whole night could have only been building up for one thing, and that was to see The Ramones onstage, and None of us even attended. I've vowed whenever I get back to South America and Japan Im going to make sure I do my own tribute to Joey onstage. And that's what Im going to do. Here in the states it doesnt really matter. I dont think anybody really cares at this point. Not that nobody cares, but its already been said and done. That's why Im going down to South America, and either before or after the set Im going to go out on stage and say my peace and put it all behind me. Its not like I say to myself every morning when I wake up I wish there was something I could do about it now, you know. It dont even matter to me anymore, the only thing that matters to me now is having a chance to say my peace to people who will be able to appreciate it. No matter what anybody thinks or no matter what anybody says, Joey was one of the most influential people in rock'n roll ever! If you listen to the early Ramones albums theyre just totally fuckin unbelievable if you look at it in the context of what was going on in music at that time AND how many people theyve influenced, cause that's how you really measure the true greatness of a band is how many people theyve influenced and The Ramones were probably the most influential band of all time.
Maggie St. Thomas: Did you go AWOL to be in The Ramones?

CJ Ramone: I was actually waiting on a discharge, so it wasnt like I deserted. They [The Marines] kept trying to send me out to Japan and I knew once I got there, it would be awfully hard to get a discharge, so I said fuck it. I had already been jamming with The Ramones a couple of times over a two-month period while they had already auditioned like 75 people. Once I started to feel like I was going to get the job, I called them up to find out what I had to do. They arrested me and threw me in the brick. So, the first night Im in jail I get a phone call from Johnny saying for me to do my time, and when I get out I've got a job. I got out 5 weeks later and went on tour with the band.
Maggie St. Thomas: Were you scared at first? Did you think Oh Shit now they're just going to find someone else?

CJ Ramone: At first, of course! I mean I wasnt scared I just figured Oh well, it was fun. I got to jam with The Ramones. In the real early photographs you see of me and in the video (Lifestyles of The Ramones), I've got a bandana around my head cause they just shaved it from the brick; I was literally just a week out of jail.
Maggie St. Thomas: That's crazy.

CJ Ramone: Yeah. Pretty wild.
Maggie St. Thomas: When are you going to get out to Southern California with Bad Chopper?

CJ Ramone: We went to the states a couple of times in Los Gusanos, but, you know, I have one little boy, and my little girl was coming along and I couldnt leave my wife pregnant and just go out on the road. So I just said all right, I've got to put it down for a couple of years. Its going to take a while you know, to ease back into it cause I have to take into consideration that I have two kids, and I need to get my wife and kids used to me being on the road. Im no less hungry than I was before, I mean I really want to do it again! I just have to be choosier on the tours I go out on, and now I have to pay more attention to how long Im going to be away from home just until I can afford to take them out on the road with me.
Maggie St. Thomas: I remember reading something about a benefit CD you did for the Oglala Lakota College on the reservation?

CJ Ramone: Actually, that was the 1st thing I did with Los Gusanos. We formed a benefit. At the time it was the only 4-year Native Run School in the country, it might still be I dont know. I figured it would be a really good idea to help them out so we sent them the money. 50% of it went to a library that they were building at the time, and the other percent of it went into the general fund for the schools and stuff.
Maggie St. Thomas: Are any of those CDs still available?

CJ Ramone: There may be some, yeah. Alternative Tentacles put it out. Its Jello Biafra's label. Theyre based outta San Francisco.
Maggie St. Thomas: That's very admirable of you. I know youve got a lot of fans out here that cant wait to see you when you get to this part of town. Marky will be out here this Tuesday.

CJ Ramone: Cool!
Maggie St. Thomas: What kind of hobbies do you have?

CJ Ramone: I work on bikes a lot. I've got a Harley that I built and I've got a 67 Nova I've been working on for about a year now. I like guns a lot and old cowboy style rifles.
Maggie St. Thomas: What kinds of guns do you have?

CJ Ramone: Mostly shotguns. I've got a little old lever action Smith and Wesson that I found up in my attic.
Maggie St. Thomas: What kinds of stuff do you collect? Would you consider guns to be something you collect?

CJ Ramone: Yeah, guns are something I collect. Im not really looking out for rare stuff; Im really way more into function than anything else. I like to collect stuff, but its got to be functional like tools cause I use them so much!
Maggie St. Thomas: What types of films and movies do you like? Is there one specific genre that you love to watch?

CJ Ramone: Hmmmm not really. I dont have any one genre. If I had to name my favorite films of all time it would have to be Jaws, Aliens, Taxi Driver, this movie from the 60s with Martin Sheen called Badlands that I really like a lot. Just all sorts of different kinds of movies really. But mostly real classic ones like 60s and 70s movies.
Maggie St. Thomas: Do you like horror films?

CJ Ramone: Yeah!
Maggie St. Thomas: What are some of your favorites?

CJ Ramone: That's tough. I really like the Day of The Dead series, Dawn of The Dead, and Day of The Dead. Theyre super gory cannibals. I like a lot of the old vampire movies with Christopher Lee. I mostly like old stuff, not too much new stuff. The makers of films now have it down to such an art and science that a lot of the cool campiness is gone.
Maggie St. Thomas: Define punk as it is today?

CJ Ramone: Its very California, very West Coast!
Maggie St. Thomas: Whats one very important thing that youve learned from your ventures with The Ramones that you will always carry with you and never forget or leave behind you?

CJ Ramone: Follow what I want to do, follow my own road and not listen to other people. Sometimes people think theyre doing you service by giving you advice, and a lot of times theyre not giving you advice that pertains to you, its just what they would do in that situation. If I had listened to any of those people, you know, I would have never even had some of the opportunities that I've had. I would have never joined The Ramones.
Maggie St. Thomas: What is it like to go from being a Ramone, which is a bit, more high profile, to jamming with smaller bands?

CJ Ramone: I really just love to play. Its not even a question really of becoming rich or famous you know. I just really like to play. And that's why after The Ramones retired I had to keep going. And people are like Holy Shit! How can you go from playing with The Ramones and getting paid all this money to play in front of a couple thousand people a night to playing in little bars with your own band to 75-80 people a night and getting paid shit? Im not doing for money Im doing it cause I like to play music. That's what its about for me you know, I dont really give a shit. If I was never in The Ramones chances are I would have given music up, but because I did play with The Ramones it just totally re-sparked my whole thing with music. Now, Ill never let it go again. Regardless of whatever I do, Ill always fuckin play music. Ill always be in a band. Ill always go out and play shows. It doesnt matter to me whether Im in South America touring or whether Im playing in a local bar. It doesnt matter.
Maggie St. Thomas: Are there any other bands out there that youd like to be in?

CJ Ramone: Id love to play with Tom Leeds and maybe uh, Id probably like to play in The Rolling Stones too, not that I think theyre really good anymore, but just because Keith Richards is like my favorite guy of all time in music. Theres nobody really new that I would like to play with, maybe with like Queens of The Stone Age or Fu Manchu I could see myself fitting right in. There arent too many bands out there that Im really too enamored with at this point.
Maggie St. Thomas: What type of music do you listen to and what inspires you most?

CJ Ramone: I listen to a pretty eclectic mix of stuff. Reggae and old Stones I listen to a lot as well as Holly go Lightly. Shes really smokin! Zeke & The Supersuckers and Queens of The Stone Age I listen to as well! I guess I listen to so much different stuff, I even throw on classical music once in a while. I listen to Tom Waits, The Clash. Im not the kind of person that finds a new style of music and I forget about everything I listened to before that. I can add it into my collection. I still listen to all the bands I listened to when I was a teenager pretty much, except for a lot of the metal bands you know, cause they didnt age too well.
Maggie St. Thomas: Do you still plan on moving to Hawaii?

CJ Ramone: Yep. That's where my wife is from, and she wants to go home, so eventually well get there. Were probably going to go over in about another year or two. I really like it over there, its totally laid back and stuff. Theyve got pretty mean herb over there too! That's always a good thing. Plus, I've always wanted to learn how to surf.
Maggie St. Thomas: How long have you been married?

CJ Ramone: Three years.
Maggie St. Thomas: Congratulations on your marriage.

CJ Ramone: Thank you.
Maggie St. Thomas: Any last words?

CJ Ramone: Nah. I think I said everything I needed to say. Rock on!
We later talk about different tattoo shops on the coasts of California. I mention to him I just moved to Long Beach and he says I've got to check out Beachin Tattoo in Long Beach. I can hear his wife correct him that Beachin Tattoo is actually in San Diego. What I thought could have been a 10 minute walk turned into a road trip. Anyhow For those of you near San Diego who want some bitchin ink work done, talk to Jim and Brad. He says good night to all of us. Take it CJ! 1-2-3-4!

(Thanks: Maggie)