Tommy Ramone, drummer and last surviving member of the Ramones, dies

TOMMY Ramone, drummer and last surviving member of influential US punk band the Ramones, has died.

TOMMY Ramone, drummer and last surviving member of influential punk band The Ramones, has died. .

Variety reports the drummer and producer died on Friday at his home in the Ridgewood area of Queens, New York.

He had been in hospice care following treatment for bile duct cancer.

The band posted a statement on their Twitter account announcing his death:

We are saddened to announce the passing of Ramones founding drummer Tommy (Erdelyi) Ramone. #RIPTommyRamone pic.twitter.com/kDBNMpn4Tp

— Ramones (@RamonesOfficial) July 12, 2014

The band, founded in New York in 1974, had a major influence on punk rock in the US.

All members of the band adopted the surname Ramone although they weren’t related.

Born Erdelyi Tamas in Budapest, Hungary, and known professionally as Tom or T. Erdelyi, Ramone played on the first three epoch-making Ramones albums, Ramones (1976), Leave Home (1977) and Rocket to Russia (1977).

He also co-produced the latter two albums with Tony Bongiovi and Ed Stasium, respectively.

He appeared on and co-produced the 1979 live Ramones opus It’s Alive.

Epoch-making ... The cover of the 1976 vinyl album "The Ramones" by the Ramones.

When the Ramones first came together, with Johnny Ramone on guitar, Dee Dee Ramone on bass and Joey Ramone on drums, Erdelyi was supposed to be the manager, but was drafted as the band’s drummer when Joey became the lead singer and found that he couldn’t keep up with the Ramones’ increasingly fast tempos.

“Tommy Ramone, who was managing us, finally had to sit down behind the drums, because nobody else wanted to,” Dee Dee later recalled.

Inflential ... Members of punk music rock band 'The Ramones'.

He remained as drummer from 1974 to 1978, playing on and co-producing their first three albums, Ramones, Leave Home, and Rocket to Russia, as well as the live album It’s Alive.

He was replaced on drums in 1978 by Marky Ramone, but handled band management and co-production for their fourth album, Road to Ruin.

He later returned as producer for the eighth album, 1984’s Too Tough to Die.

Dee Dee, in his books, expressed resentment towards Tommy for having it “together” more than anyone else in the band, being able to cook himself dinner and organize his life in a much more functional manner, without the psychosis or addiction problems that Dee Dee himself suffered from.

Tommy Ramone wrote “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” and the majority of “Blitzkrieg Bop” while bassist Dee Dee suggested the title.

RIP ... Dee Dee Ramone with Tommy, Johnny, and Marky - members of punk music rock band The Ramones - being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

The Ramones finally disbanded in 1996 after a show at the Palace in Hollywood.

Joey Ramone died of lymphoma in 2001; Dee Dee succumbed to a drug overdose in 2002; and Johnny expired from prostate cancer in 2004.

The Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

In later years, Erdelyi went down the acoustic route, playing bluegrass and country music with his partner Claudia Tienan in Uncle Monk.

He is survived by Tienan and an older brother.

Tributes have begun to flow in for the late drummer.

Tommy Ramone R.I.P. ❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/okOARiNwsP

— Johnny Knoxville (@realjknoxville) July 12, 2014

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Originally published as Tommy Ramone, drummer and last surviving member of the Ramones, dies