Dee Dee Ramone – September 2012 Classic Rock Birthdays

The Ramones influence on future punk rock generations will surely never ebb. At the forefront of that movement was Dee Dee Ramone -- the bassist, songwriter and founding member of the group. This coming Sept. 18, Ramone would have been 61.

Sadly, his life was cut short in 2002, when he died at the age of 50 over an apparent heroin overdose. His gravestone features lyrics from a song he wrote, 'Highest Trails Above'

The Ramones were legendary, there's no way around it. Together with his bandmates, the band inadvertently created a home for the social outcasts of America.

Those outcasts, now adults, will forever feel indebted to Dee Dee and his bandmates. 

Hear the Ramones Perform 'Highest Trails Above'