Having contributed to shaping punk as we know it, Ramones drummer Marky Ramone is one of the most iconic rockstars in history, but how well do you think you know him? Here are 5 facts about him we couldn’t believe…
1. He has his own brand of sauce
When he moved out at 18-years-old, Marky found that spaghetti was the cheapest thing to make, so he took after his chef grandfather and created his own sauce. Using olive oil, garlic, onions, oregano and sugar, he made enough to get him through the month. Fifty years later, he know donates 10% of the profits to autism research!
Credit: Treble Zine
2. He rehearses 40 Ramones songs every week
Every Sunday, he practices his 40-song Ramones set list and can play all the instrumental parts to every song.
Credit: Vice
3. He auditioned to be the in New York Dolls
After the glam punks’ original drummer Billy Murcia passed away in 1972, Marky (along with Peter Criss of KISS) auditioned to take his place but lost to Jerry Nolan. On the topic, he said “Here I am, doing all these Keith Moon drum rolls and John Bonham drum fills, trying to be very impressive. That wasn’t needed. Jerry just kept the beat, and that’s how he got the job. Good for him. I was happy for him.”
Credit: Redferns
4. He and the rest of the Ramones have appeared on The Simpsons
In October 1993, Marky, Joey, Johnny and C.J. featured on one of the most highly-rated episodes of the US cartoon: Rosebud. The episode sees Mr Burns searching for his childhood teddy bear Bobo on his birthday and the band are invited to cheer him up and sing him Happy Birthday. After a poor reception and the band heckle the crowd, Mr Burns demands Smithers to “Have the Rolling Stones killed!”… Marky told Cyrptic Rock 22 years later that appearing on the episode was actually the moment he realised he’d made it.
5. He’s a twin
Marky has an identical twin brother called Fred, who is also a musician.
Credit: Pinterest
How many of these did you know?
Marky will be on tour later this month, including dates in London and Manchester.
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