Its another Thursday night, I've been out for a walk and after kicking the shit off my boots I sit down turn on the music and check out what's on T.V.

The usual crap reality T.V. shows that say nothing about reality

I check out the text and there it is - 'Dee Dee Ramone found dead, aged 50'

I don't know what to think, I check out the page and it looks like Dee Dee has checked out

Dee Dee was always my favourite, more than anyone he inspired me to pick up the Bass guitar and without that inspiration I wouldn't have had all the good times playing music and writing songs, but more importantly he inspired many others more talented than me to do the same

Here was a guy who could barely read and write, but he wrote some of the greatest Ramones songs, therefore he wrote some of the greatest songs of all time

It seems like its only been since the Ramones split up have they been getting the respect that they deserved and when Joey passed away that trickle of appreciation quickly turned into an flood and an entry to the hall of fame

It's a tragedy that at 49 (yeh, the press always gets the facts wrong) Dee Dee has also gone, but its comforting in a way that at least he was around to finally get some of the respect that he worked so hard to earn

It was only after he left the band that he realised although they never really came close to having a smash hit record in the USA, the Ramones legacy is far greater than a number one record could ever be

So long Dee Dee, thanks for everything