Permanent Sedation

Or

Punk’d

Johnny Ramone, guitarist for the seminal punk band The Ramones, joined his bandmates in taking the early exit, dying at the age of 55. Johnny is the third member of the band to die in the last 4 years, making their 1984 album “Too Tough to Die” one of the most ironically labeled records ever. He holds the distinction of being the longest lived member of the Ramones, although the last surviving member, Tommy, is 52. A band ahead of its time, The Ramones created a raw energetic style in New York’s underground music scene. Although never a commercial success, The Ramones enjoy a legacy as one of America’s most influential rock bands, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. The Ramones’ underappreciation and iconoclastic nature made for a classic exchange on The Simpsons. While performing for Mr. Burns’ birthday, The Ramones told Monty to “Go to hell, you old bastard.” Monty responded with, “Have the Rolling Stones killed.” It's taken a few years, but as we all know, Montys always get their man. (Props to Scott for The Simpsons reference, but he's blameless for the pun.)