Co-founding member and guitarist in the Ramones Johnny Ramone was born John William Cummings on this day in 1948 in Queens, New York. He and future Ramones drummer Tamas Erdelyi (Tommy Ramone) were in a band together named the tangerine Puppets in their teens. Johnny worked as a plumber with his dad and also held a job delivering dry cleaning. He met Douglas Colvin, the future Dee Dee Ramone, while dropping off a load of laundered clothing. In 1974, Cummings and Colvin bought instruments and hooked up with Jeffrey Hyman (Joey Ramone) and Richie Stern to form the Ramones. Stern quit before he adopted a pseudonym and Erdelyi was brought in.

 

Other Noteworthy Classic Rock events on October 8 include...

 

1945 Procol Harum's Ray Royer born.

1966 Ginger Baker collapses after 20 minute drum solo during Cream concert in Sussex, UK.

1971 John Lennon records Imagine.

1976 Sex Pistols sign recording contract.

1977 Billy Joel releases The Stranger.

1987 Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard and Dusty Hill reserve seats on the first commercial flight to the moon.
1987 Chuck Berry gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1988 Dark Side Of the Moon drops off Billboard's Album Chart after 741 consecutive weeks.

1988 Keith Richards plays on Saturday Night Live.

1991 John Mellencamp releases Whenever We Wanted.

USPS announces Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Otis Redding and Ritchie Valens and Clyde McPhatter stamps.

2004 Joan Jet, Blondie Strokes, Sonic Youth and others do a Ramones tribute concert in New York on Johnny Ramone's birthday.

2005 R.E.M. does an 8 song set with former drummer Bill Berry at a book release event of a band crew member. 

2015 Cars, Chicago, Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, Steve Miller Band, Yes nominated for Rock Hall Of Fame. 2016 Paul McCartney joined by Neil Young for three songs at Desert Trip Festival in Indio, CA...