The Day Joey Ramone Died

Joey Ramone was not naturally outgoing — even as the frontman for the Ramones, one of New York City's most iconic rock bands, he could be shy and awkward. It wasn't until later in life that Ramone came out of his shell a bit more.

Some of that insecurity probably stemmed from a medically complicated childhood and early adult period, both physically and mentally. Ramone, real name Jeffrey Ross Hyman, was born with a tumor on his spine and though removed without issue, it was the beginning of lifelong health problems.

"He was prone to infections because his neurological system was not right," his younger brother Mickey Leigh explained to Classic Rock in 2016. "If he stepped on something and cut his foot, he would wind up in hospital on intravenous antibiotics. He was always going to the doctors."

When Ramone was 18, he suffered a psychotic episode and was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

"It was something that was always there and he always had to struggle with," Leigh continued. "These voices in his head would say, 'You didn't close this door right, you gotta do it again.' He would do it 20 times until it was right.' Because of what was going on in his head, he was different."

It made sense then that Ramone would keep a 1995 diagnosis of lymphatic cancer a largely private matter.

The Breakup of the Ramones

Not long after that, in February of 1996, Joey and Marky Ramone appeared on Howard Stern's show to announce the breakup of the Ramones. When Stern asked Joey what he planned to do next, he quipped: "I'm gonna get a bed at the Howard Stern retirement home."

Six months later, the Ramones played their very last show together on Aug. 6 at the Palace in Los Angeles. Still, the public was unaware of Ramone's illness.

Four years later in December of 2000, Ramone fell while walking down the street in New York City, broke his hip and was hospitalized. He was discharged for a few days in February of the following year, but ultimately returned to the hospital. It wasn't until March that the world learned of Ramone's cancer, but even so, it was assured that things were being handled well.

"Joey watched a tape of The Sopranos on Wednesday," spokesman Arturo Vega told the New York Daily News then (via ABC News). "He's doing better and better."

READ MORE: When the Ramones Began Recording Their Influential Debut Album

But Ramone's condition unfortunately deteriorated and he died on April 15, 2001 — Easter Sunday — at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He was 49 years old.

One report stated that Ramone was listening to "In a Little While" by U2 at the time of his death. Whether or not that story is accurate, it is true that that evening, U2 took a moment at their concert in Oregon to pay tribute to the late singer, performing a cover of the Ramones' "I Remember You" from their 1977 album Leave Home.

"I told the people, 'I want to talk to you about Joey Ramone...,' and the whole crowd went up in this roar," Bono recalled to Rolling Stone back then. "The shock was the crowd sang it, the whole tune. Then I said that Joey had passed away that day. The roar stopped right there. The place went silent. It was a very powerful thing to be a part of."

Listen to U2 Perform the Ramones' 'I Remember You' on the Day of Joey Ramone's Death

At the time of his passing, Ramone had been working on his first solo album, a project he was fully invested in even in the last weeks of his life.

"He was talking about getting out of bed so he could be in shape to go on tour," producer Daniel Rey recalled to Rolling Stone. "If he wasn't feeling great, he didn't go to the studio, because it didn’t feel rock & roll to him."

The album, titled Don't Worry About Me, did eventually come out in February of 2002, less than a year after his death and about a month before the Ramones were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Entertainment Weekly called it "a testament to the uplifting power of rock."

"His voice seemed a lot richer, more manly," Rey had said. "It was like he was saying, 'I'm comfortable with myself.'"