Dee Dee Ramone

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Dee Dee Ramone" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. (January 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Dee Dee Ramone
Dee Dee Ramone performing live with the Ramones, 1977
Background information
Birth name	Douglas Glenn Colvin
Also known as	Dee Dee King
Born	(1951-09-18)September 18, 1951 Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia, U.S.
Died	June 5, 2002(2002-06-05) (aged 50) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Punk rock hip hop
Occupations	Musician songwriter
Instruments	Bass vocals guitar
Years active	1966–2002
Formerly of	Ramones
Website	deedeeramone.com

Douglas Glenn Colvin (September 18, 1951 – June 5, 2002), better known by his stage name Dee Dee Ramone, was an American musician. He was the bassist and a founding member of the punk rock band the Ramones. Throughout the band's existence, he was the most prolific lyricist and composer, writing many of their best-known songs, such as "53rd & 3rd", "Chinese Rock", "Commando", "Wart Hog", "Rockaway Beach", "Poison Heart" and "Bonzo Goes To Bitburg" (also known as "My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down"). The latter won the New York Music Award for best independent single of the year in 1986, while Animal Boy, which the song is from, won for best album.

Dee Dee was the band's lead vocalist until original drummer Joey Ramone took over lead vocalist duties. He was then the band's bassist from 1974 until 1989, when he left to pursue a short-lived career in hip hop music under the name Dee Dee King, releasing the album Standing in the Spotlight in 1989. He soon returned to his punk roots and released four more solo albums featuring brand-new songs, many of which were later recorded by the Ramones. He toured the world playing his new songs, Ramones songs and some old favorites in small clubs, and continued to write songs for the Ramones until 1996, when the band retired.

Dee Dee was addicted to drugs, particularly heroin, for much of his life. He began using drugs as a teenager and continued to use for the majority of his adult life. He died from a heroin overdose on June 5, 2002, at the age of 50.^[1]