Joey Ramone was born Jeffrey Ross Hyman in 1951 in Forest Hills, Queens. He found his way into music through early rock 'n' roll like Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry, then helped form The Ramones in 1974 with Johnny, Dee Dee, and Tommy Ramone. Their sound was built on buzz-saw guitars and catchy melodies, and they put out records like 'Ramones' in 1976 and 'Rocket to Russia' the following year.
While The Ramones defined a certain kind of punk, Joey's solo work showed a different side. His 2002 album 'Don't Worry About Me' came out after his death, and it included songs like 'Spirit In My House' and a cover of 'What a Wonderful World.' That cover, recorded in 1989, stripped away the jazz arrangement for something more raw and direct.
He died in 2001 after dealing with lymphoma. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted him in 2003.
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