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Marky Ramone
Marc Steven Bell (born July 15, 1952), better known as Marky Ramone, is an American drummer. He began playing in hard rock bands in the New York City area, notably Dust and Estus. He was asked to drum for the punk rock band Richard Hell and the Voidoids. He replaced drummer Tommy Ramone in the Ramones in 1978 and played with the band from 1978 to 1983 and 1987 to 1996: their longest-serving drummer. He has also played drums for other punk rock and heavy metal bands including his own band, Marky Ramone and the Intruders. As of 2025, he is one of three surviving members of the band, the others being Richie Ramone and C.J. Ramone. He continues to keep the Ramones' legacy alive around the world with his band Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg.
Ramone lives in Brooklyn Heights with his wife, Marion Flynn. In 2015, he released his autobiography, Punk Rock Blitzkrieg: My Life as a Ramone.
According to his autobiography, Bell and his twin brother Fred were born at New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children on July 15, 1952; he is of Dutch ancestry on his father's side and French on his mother's side. His father was a longshoreman, while his mother ran the Brooklyn College music library.
Bell began playing drums in 1971 with the hard rock band Dust, featuring Kenny Aaronson on bass and Richie Wise on guitar, and produced by Kenny Kerner. Bell recorded two albums with the band before getting into the punk scene. In late 1972, following the death of the New York Dolls' original drummer Billy Murcia, Bell was the only seriously considered alternative to the eventually chosen Jerry Nolan. "Jerry and I knew each other," he said. "When Billy died, I went down to the loft where the Dolls were auditioning... I could do different time signatures, different accents, and I basically overplayed it – put in all these drum fills that weren't necessary. And Jerry just kept the beat straight. So Jerry got it and I didn't."
In 1973, Marky joined Estus and recorded an album of the same name, produced by the Rolling Stones' first producer, Andrew Loog Oldham. Bandmates for Estus included Harry Rumpf and Tom and John Nicholas. In the mid-1970s, Bell joined Wayne County & The Backstreet Boys, then moved onto Richard Hell and the Voidoids and played on their first album, Blank Generation.
Following the departure of Tommy Ramone, Marky would be chosen as the next drummer for the Ramones. Marky would claim that before this point, he had had a conversation with Dee Dee Ramone in which Dee Dee had mentioned Tommy's departure from the band, and he was asked the question if he would ever join the Ramones. Marky responded with, "I guess I would." Following this, a month later, he would claim that he had been waiting on Johnny to know his situation with the group and would be told, "Danny and Linda want you to audition, but I think you're in." At auditions Marky would play "I Don't Care", "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker", and "Rockaway Beach". Marky would ultimately be chosen as the next drummer and would be coached by Tommy Ramone on the drumming style.
Marky was with the Ramones for the next five years. He starred in the movie Rock 'n' Roll High School, recorded the anthem "I Wanna Be Sedated", and worked with producer Phil Spector. After five albums with Dee Dee, Joey, and Johnny Ramone, Marky was asked to leave the band in February 1983 following an incident regarding his drinking problem. The night before a show in Virginia Beach, he would become drunk in Columbus, where he was staying with a friend. Marky would claim that he had drunk with Roger Maris of the New York Yankees and would subsequently sleep in. The following day a groupie who had promised to drive him to the gig in Virginia Beach would later claim the next day that she could not drive. This would lead to a show cancellation and Marky having to pay per diems. Another incident would involve Dee Dee Ramone discovering a vodka bottle hidden in a trashcan and drinking between sessions in the bathroom during the recordings for Subterranean Jungle. He was replaced by Richie Ramone, who was himself replaced four years later by Clem Burke of Blondie (under the name Elvis Ramone), who was asked to leave after only two shows.
Marky would reach sobriety following his departure from the band. According to Marky, this followed an incident where he was driving drunk and had blacked out at the wheel, subsequently crashing into a furniture store. He also attributed his sobriety to an incident where he and roadie Little Matt were driving down Ocean Avenue in Brooklyn when the electrical wiring of the vehicle had become ignited by what was presumed to be cigarette ash, leading to them jumping out of the vehicle. Marky claimed that following these events he had chosen to check into a rehabilitation clinic in Long Island for two weeks but would subsequently fall back into drinking. During this period he would attempt to stop on his own, and in one event at his parents' house, he had experienced bouts of psychosis, leading him to return home. During this period he would also attend AA meetings.
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Marky Ramone
Marc Steven Bell (born July 15, 1952), better known as Marky Ramone, is an American drummer. He began playing in hard rock bands in the New York City area, notably Dust and Estus. He was asked to drum for the punk rock band Richard Hell and the Voidoids. He replaced drummer Tommy Ramone in the Ramones in 1978 and played with the band from 1978 to 1983 and 1987 to 1996: their longest-serving drummer. He has also played drums for other punk rock and heavy metal bands including his own band, Marky Ramone and the Intruders. As of 2025, he is one of three surviving members of the band, the others being Richie Ramone and C.J. Ramone. He continues to keep the Ramones' legacy alive around the world with his band Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg.
Ramone lives in Brooklyn Heights with his wife, Marion Flynn. In 2015, he released his autobiography, Punk Rock Blitzkrieg: My Life as a Ramone.
According to his autobiography, Bell and his twin brother Fred were born at New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children on July 15, 1952; he is of Dutch ancestry on his father's side and French on his mother's side. His father was a longshoreman, while his mother ran the Brooklyn College music library.
Bell began playing drums in 1971 with the hard rock band Dust, featuring Kenny Aaronson on bass and Richie Wise on guitar, and produced by Kenny Kerner. Bell recorded two albums with the band before getting into the punk scene. In late 1972, following the death of the New York Dolls' original drummer Billy Murcia, Bell was the only seriously considered alternative to the eventually chosen Jerry Nolan. "Jerry and I knew each other," he said. "When Billy died, I went down to the loft where the Dolls were auditioning... I could do different time signatures, different accents, and I basically overplayed it – put in all these drum fills that weren't necessary. And Jerry just kept the beat straight. So Jerry got it and I didn't."
In 1973, Marky joined Estus and recorded an album of the same name, produced by the Rolling Stones' first producer, Andrew Loog Oldham. Bandmates for Estus included Harry Rumpf and Tom and John Nicholas. In the mid-1970s, Bell joined Wayne County & The Backstreet Boys, then moved onto Richard Hell and the Voidoids and played on their first album, Blank Generation.
Following the departure of Tommy Ramone, Marky would be chosen as the next drummer for the Ramones. Marky would claim that before this point, he had had a conversation with Dee Dee Ramone in which Dee Dee had mentioned Tommy's departure from the band, and he was asked the question if he would ever join the Ramones. Marky responded with, "I guess I would." Following this, a month later, he would claim that he had been waiting on Johnny to know his situation with the group and would be told, "Danny and Linda want you to audition, but I think you're in." At auditions Marky would play "I Don't Care", "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker", and "Rockaway Beach". Marky would ultimately be chosen as the next drummer and would be coached by Tommy Ramone on the drumming style.
Marky was with the Ramones for the next five years. He starred in the movie Rock 'n' Roll High School, recorded the anthem "I Wanna Be Sedated", and worked with producer Phil Spector. After five albums with Dee Dee, Joey, and Johnny Ramone, Marky was asked to leave the band in February 1983 following an incident regarding his drinking problem. The night before a show in Virginia Beach, he would become drunk in Columbus, where he was staying with a friend. Marky would claim that he had drunk with Roger Maris of the New York Yankees and would subsequently sleep in. The following day a groupie who had promised to drive him to the gig in Virginia Beach would later claim the next day that she could not drive. This would lead to a show cancellation and Marky having to pay per diems. Another incident would involve Dee Dee Ramone discovering a vodka bottle hidden in a trashcan and drinking between sessions in the bathroom during the recordings for Subterranean Jungle. He was replaced by Richie Ramone, who was himself replaced four years later by Clem Burke of Blondie (under the name Elvis Ramone), who was asked to leave after only two shows.
Marky would reach sobriety following his departure from the band. According to Marky, this followed an incident where he was driving drunk and had blacked out at the wheel, subsequently crashing into a furniture store. He also attributed his sobriety to an incident where he and roadie Little Matt were driving down Ocean Avenue in Brooklyn when the electrical wiring of the vehicle had become ignited by what was presumed to be cigarette ash, leading to them jumping out of the vehicle. Marky claimed that following these events he had chosen to check into a rehabilitation clinic in Long Island for two weeks but would subsequently fall back into drinking. During this period he would attempt to stop on his own, and in one event at his parents' house, he had experienced bouts of psychosis, leading him to return home. During this period he would also attend AA meetings.
