Johnny Ramone’s Autobiography Finally Getting Published

The late, great, Johnny Ramone will finally have his autobiography published. Coming eight years after his death, the 176-page book is being released by Abrams Image on April 2. Johnny, who succumbed to cancer in 2004, began writing 'Commando: The Autobiography of Johnny Ramone,' when he first became ill, according to his widow Linda. "Johnny's legacy to him was so important," she told the Associated Press, "even while he was sick. It was like he knew he was dying, and he wanted to do something."

Born John Cummings in 1948, Johnny formed punk legends The Ramones in Queens, New York, in 1974 with the like minded, yet utterly different, brothers of other mothers, Joey, Dee Dee And Tommy, all adopting the surname Ramone. Armed with loud guitars, a bubblegum-pop sensibility and a cartoonish image, they would forever alter the music world but never reap the benefits.

The book covers the road from his childhood to the band and right up through his struggle with cancer, as well as the soap opera type love triangle between he, his wife Linda and Joey, who also dated Linda. This led to years of resentment from Joey, who later penned the classic song 'The KKK Took My Baby Away' in response.

Tommy Ramone, who wrote the book's foreword, calls it "a no-holds barred, straight-forward book written in a no-nonsense style that is Johnny personified. His story is written in his own actual words, so the reader gets an insight into what made him the unique, charismatic and exciting individual that he was. It also gives a great view of The Ramones from Johnny's perspective." Tommy, who also produced most of the band's early recordings, is the only surviving member of the original group.

"This is nobody else's story. This is Johnny Ramone's story, talking about Johnny Ramone," said Linda. "His whole life has gone before him and he knows it's going to come to an end, and he really needs to tell everybody what he's feeling inside. That is the biggest, most powerful thing, writing a book when you know you're dying."