The longtime drummer for punk trailblazers
the Ramones,
Marky Ramone was born
Marc Bell in New York City on July 15, 1956. An alumnus of the late-'60s band Dust, in 1977 he resurfaced as a member of Richard Hell & the Voidoids on their classic
Blank Generation album.
Bell joined
the Ramones in time to record 1978's
Road to Ruin, adopting the name
Marky Ramone; he continued with the group through 1983, returning to the lineup four years later and remaining on the roster until they disbanded in 1996. Following
the Ramones' breakup,
Marky formed a new band, the Intruders, releasing the album
Answer to Your Problems? in mid-1999. In 2000,
Ramone toured Europe with the Belgian punk band the Buckweeds, and later recorded and performed live with the Speed Kings, led by former Buckweeds frontman Nick "CQ" Cooper. In 2002,
Ramone signed on to tour as drummer with horror rock legends
the Misfits. The two-CD
Start of the Century appeared in 2006 with one disc of new material and one disc of
Ramones classics redone. ~ Jason Ankeny