Once separated from the band, even if it’s an amicable disbandment, band members tend to go off on their separate ways and figure out their next steps in the world, whether it be continuing the lifestyle they are used to as musicians or starting over with a new venture. For Richie Ramone, the path was quite tricky as the drummer went off the radar for a decade before making a comeback in the industry.
The drummer had left the Ramones after a financial dispute with his former bandmates. Although the separation was not a pleasant one, not all chivalry had died between them, so there were a few occasions when the guys would call him to come and perform with them. However, the drummer hadn’t seen or talked to Joey Ramone for many years. The unfortunate thing was that Joey had wished to see and reconnect with Richie before passing, but it never came to fruition.
The drummer said to the Aquarian in 2019 that after his departure from the Ramones, he had almost lost all contact with most of his former bandmates, including Joey. He said, “It was over. Everyone was bitter. I did see Dee Dee. He’d come out to Los Angeles and hang with me. But I never got around to reconnecting with Joey.”
He continued, “I found out that Joey was looking for me when he was near death. So, that was kind of sad. I went to his funeral, but when I heard he was looking for me, I was like, ‘Aw, man, that really sucks.’ We were such close friends. We’d hang out every day for the four years I was in the band. But then it just got all weird, and then that was it.”
Although Joey had intended to reconnect with Richie, his lymphoma diagnosis took away their chance of a reunion as the singer passed away in 2001. Richie Ramone, who had been lying low for almost a decade, ultimately realized just how much he had missed performing in front of a crowd. So he decided to work on a proper solo record. In 2013, he released his first solo album, ‘Entitled,’ and followed up with his sophomore album, ‘Cellophane,’ in 2016.
The drummer has become a frontman with his backing band and has been performing in many parts of the world. In his shows, Ramone plays both his material and makes room for Ramones classics, especially ‘Somebody Put Something in My Drink,’ which he wrote, and it was one of the more popular songs of that era of the Ramones.
