The Recording Academy Statement Re: Tommy Ramone

New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ The Recording Academy) A Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, as a member of the Ramones, Tommy Ramone was a drummer, songwriter, and producer who would ultimately become a seminal part of rock history. Known as the pioneers of punk rock, the Ramones cut rock & roll down to its basics and injected it with a frenzied tempo, kicking off a rebellious musical movement that would spread to England, Germany and other parts of Europe. The band's first four albums set the tone for the genre, and the group helped to make CBGB one of music's most legendary and historical venues. Tommy would later go on to focus on studio work, producing recordings for other artists such as the Replacements and Redd Kross. As the last surviving member of the original Ramones lineup, his sad passing is truly the end of an era — or as the group would say 'the end of the century.' However, his and the group's viable and enduring legacy serves as a potent reminder of why their work still is, and will remain, so influential. Our sincere condolences go out to his family, his friends, and all the musicians and fans who have been galvanized by the revolution he helped incite.


Neil Portnow
President/CEO
The Recording Academy