This interview with Johnny Ramone's wife Linda Cummings' (Linda Ramone) tells background of book Commando: The Autobiography Of Johnny Ramone (see details here).
I want this interview to be archived and it is reason why interview is also here. Otherwise interview would get lost from Internet later.
Interview with Linda Cummings' (Linda Ramone) is by Nekesa Mumbi Moody, on January, 2012.
BASIC INFORMATION:
1) Commando: The Autobiography Of Johnny Ramone is the first and only truly autobiographical work written by Johnny Ramone.
2) USA: Commando: The Autobiography Of Johnny Ramone will be released in stores and online nationwide (USA) on April 2nd, 2012 from Abrams Image. Pre-order Commando: The Autobiography of Johnny Ramone
3) E-book will be available on Kindle, iPad, Nook, Kobo and Sony Reader.
4) Rights of the book have been pre-sold in four different languages throughout Europe and Brazil with more soon to be announced.
5) Commando: The Autobiography Of Johnny Ramone includes a foreward written by sole surviving founding member, drummer, Tommy Ramone, and an epilogue written by Johnny's close friend (and daughter to the King), Lisa Marie Presley.
LINDA CUMMINGS' (LINDA RAMONE) INTERVIEW BY NEKESA MUMBI MOODY AP MUSIC WRITER (2012)
Eight years after he died of prostate cancer, Johnny Ramone's autobiography is finally being published.
"Commando: The Autobiography of Johnny Ramone" is set for release April 2, 2012, by Abrams Image. In an interview Tuesday, his widow, Linda, described the book as "kind of his last word that he knew would be out."
"It is a really powerful book because his whole life has gone before him and he knows it's going to come to an end, and he really needs to tell everybody what he's feeling inside, so that's what makes it so amazing," she added later. "That is the biggest, most powerful thing, writing a book when you know you're dying."
Johnny Ramone, whose real name was John Cummings, was one of the founding members of the legendary New York City-based punk band the Ramones, members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Considered one of the most influential guitarists in rock, he died in 2004 at age 55 after battling cancer for five years.
Linda Ramone said he started writing the book when he first became ill: "Johnny's legacy to him was so important, even while he was sick. ... It was like he knew he was dying, and he wanted to do something."
The 176-page book is filled with pictures selected by his wife. It includes Ramone's musings from his childhood to his struggle with cancer. It also features other personal stories, including the attack on him that left him hospitalized, his altercation with Malcolm McLaren and his romance with Linda, who once dated Joey Ramone, the Ramones' frontman, leading to a years long rift between the two musicians.
"It's whatever people make out of it. I guess it was some sort of love
triangle - Joey, Johnny and me. It happened, and of course he talks
about it and he talks about how he feels about it," Linda said. "The
three of us all probably have a different story, but this is Johnny's
story." Band mate Tommy Ramone, the only surviving member of the original band, wrote the foreword. In a statement, he said: "Johnny Ramone's autobiography is a no holds barred, straight-forward book written in a no-nonsense style that is Johnny personified. His story is written in his own actual words, so the reader gets an insight into what made him the unique, charismatic and exciting individual that he was. It also gives a great view of The Ramones from Johnny's perspective."
The epilogue was written by close friend Lisa Marie Presley.
Linda Ramone said the book was originally planned to have interviews with Ramone's friends, but she decided to only include her husband's words.
"It didn't make Johnny Ramone's book more powerful by having other people in the book talking about him," she said. "This is nobody else's story. This is Johnny Ramone's story, talking about Johnny Ramone."
She said several factors were responsible for the delay in the book's release, including lawsuits involving the band after Ramone died and other projects she was undertaking for his fans.
"Between all those years of doing different things for his legacy, I always had the book. But there was never the right time for the book," she said.
Linda said her husband never stopped working on the book, even during chemotherapy treatments.
"He wasn't feeling well all the time, but that never stopped Johnny," she said. "Johnny was indestructible."
She hopes to publish another book of photos of Ramone, and hopes the book will lead to a Ramones biopic.
"This is the first book I can honestly see that really has enough in it to make it such an interesting story, because this is Johnny talking about Johnny," she said. "No Ramone movie could be as cool as Johnny's story."
LINDA'S INTERVIEW IN RAMONES: SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES
REST OF THIS PAGE IS BY JARI-PEKKA LAITIO-RAMONE, NOT BY NEKESA MUMBI MOODY AP MUSIC WRITER
The most extensive and long interview with Linda Ramone ever is published on my Ramones: Soundtrack Of Our Lives book. Six pages long.
When Linda, I (Jari-Pekka Laitio-Ramone) and Maria Montoya-Kaye sat down at Fabricini's Restaurant in Los Angeles on May 30 2007, she knew that I wasn't the type of person who would tell the public about the background fights that go on in the Ramones family. Linda had been friendly and familiar in my company well before interview in 2007. In 2005 Linda asked me to come to the restaurant with her and her friend Sandy Linter in New York.
The next year Linda and I were planning to meet for another interview at Arturo Vega's (Ramones' creative director, who now run RamonesWorld.com) loft in New York. Plans changed so instead, Linda and I conducted the interview in Los Angeles in 2007.
Linda explains in her interview for example:
- Johnny's and Dee Dee's last meeting.
- How and why they (Johnny and Linda) decided to move to California.
- Johnny's romantic side.
- When Johnny became very sick and how they were able to cope.
- Memories of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam members coming to visit Johnny.
- How Linda met the Ramones.
- Linda's take on the triangle drama of Joey, Johnny, and Linda.
- How much Linda and Joey were in touch after 1983.
- Linda Cummings shared some very personal photographs for Ramones: Soundtrack Of Our Lives book. One on the day of their wedding, their Elvis Presley room, a Halloween photo of Johnny Ramone dressed as a clown.
Here are some background information and my thoughs.
Linda is an easy target for many Ramones' fans and also to some people in inner circle of the Ramones. I understand their feelings. I either don't like everything what Linda has done in last few years.
Now I explain a little bit about the love triangle known as Linda, Joey, and Johnny. Before judging Linda, please read her interview on Ramones: Soundtrack Of Our Lives.
Before judging read especially page 65.
I and Maria Montoya-Kaye were doing that page really careful and thinking deeply different sides. Maria and I both has wide emotional intelligence.
I will share also here on my Ramones' homepage few thoughs. I will say that Linda didn't fall in love with the rock star singer Joey Ramone or later with the famous guitarist Johnny Ramone. No, Linda Danielle (later Cummings) fell in love with Jeffrey Hyman and John Cummings.
In 1979 Linda Cummings was about nineteen years old and Joey Ramone was 28 when they started their relationship. Joey was Linda's first serious boyfriend when they lived together.
I am going to say the following words in the
most basic and stripped down way possible:Ramones fans hate that Linda and Johnny betrayed Joey.
Now, would the same fans hate Joey if they knew before the inevitable actually happened, he tried to betray Linda first? That's right, Joey was not faithful to Linda either and there are some people who still know the truth of what happened in the late 70's.
When Linda Cummings and I sat down to talk on May 30, 2007, she didn't know what I already knew about Joey faltering until Ramones: Soundtrack Of Our Lives got published.
Before judging or E-mailing me anything, read interview and page 65.
- BACK TO INTERVIEW INDEX.
- BACK TO MAIN PAGE OF MY RAMONES SITE.