Poisoned Heart: I Married Dee Dee Ramone (the Ramones Years): A Punk Love Story

by Vera Ramone King

With more than 50 never-before-published photos of The Ramones Often regarded as the first punk-rock group ever, named one of Rolling Stone magazine's Top 50 Bands of All Time, with all members having been inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, The Ramones are nothing if not legendary. Waking up the neighbors and setting the U.S. music scene on fire in the 1970s and through the '80s, The Ramones' story is tragic and raw, sentiments that could also describe the band's songwriter, bass player, and unsung genius, Dee Dee. A wild ride into the heart and soul of New York City, Poisoned Heart is Vera Ramones King's last testament to her former husband, who shocked the world when he died in 2002 of a drug overdose despite having been clean for years.
Dee Dee defined the punk-rock lifestyle. He was a rash, often violent, heroin addict, and no one better understood his twisted mentality, or insanity, than faithful wife Vera. But Vera, herself a less destructive Nancy to Dee Dee's Sid, also came to know the Dee Dee that music fans worldwide held near and dear: a generous, loving man who had a soft-spot for bums, who grew up in the tough streets of Queens, who never stopped working, writing, and performing, who often treated his wife like a Punk Rock Princess, and whose greatest joy was the look on his fans' faces as he played them a song.
For true fans of The Ramones, those who remember the 1970s as a time of music innovation and inspired creativity, groupies, wannabes, and true music-lovers everywhere, Poisoned Heart is destined to become a literary--and rock--classic.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction

167 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2009

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not finished yet but I feel like I am reading a teenage girl's diary. Lots of gushing, lots of name dropping, and when she speaks of Dee Dee' s Ex ( even if she was a nightmare)- she really does sound like an over protective teenage girl going on in the high school bathroom to her friends about her boyfriend's awful ex girlfriend. It's readable but meh.

Update- I couldn't get through it. Maybe I'll pick it up again later.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

imagine what it would be like to read an essay by a third grader who knows how to name-drop. and that essay had to be 160 pages long.


only reason it gets two stars is because of a couple stories that were interesting and the photo sections.

jesus god. get a fucking ghost writer.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your Ramones Collection is Incomplete Without This

Poisoned Heart is well-crafted, written from the heart, and makes you rethink so many things you've already read somewhere else. Vera's pictures, which are priceless--the wedding pics alone are entrancing, because you can see all the love in the world in Dee Dee's eyes, focused completely and only on Vera. You'll also get a look at touring, their home at Christmas, and their bedroom--you never even began to imagine what their home might look like, did you?

And there's tons of other stuff you'll discover only here, such as their huge, gorgeous country home; that Dee Dee liked his dinner ready when he got home; why Vera doesn't appear in any of Dee Dee's own books; how much he loved his in-laws; how much he loved the Ramones; more insight into each of the other Ramones and their wives and girlfriends; and many stories you'll never find anywhere else....I'm not going to tell you any more, you need to discover this whole other side of Dee Dee Ramone by yourself.

What's so different about this volume from all the other Ramones books available--including Dee Dee's own volumes--is that Ramone-King presents both Dee Dee the married man, and Dee Dee the punk of legendary Ramones fame--most often called "the best punk bassist ever" as well as "the best punk songwriter ever"--in ways you could never have imagined.

Vera's thoughtful, steadfast words give you the multifaceted story that no one else can, while her photos tell the story of all the love and good times. this book IS Vera, Dee Dee, the Ramones, life as they knew it, and life as they lived it.

P.S.: As for the person who compared Vera to Dee Dee as Nancy Spungen to Sid Vicious, that summation is incorrect and couldn't be more wrong. Vera is to Nancy as flowers are to psychosis; no correlation whatsoever.

[Deborah Schuff · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a mess this book is. Dee Dee Ramone's ex-wife's story is one of true love, drugs, and spousal abuse, but the book is disjointed, off-tangent at times, and filled with repetitions and exclamation points. Even at a thin 160 pages printed in largish print, it feels bloated. Her editor should have taken a stronger hand and striven for a tighter, more cohesive and chronological approach. But even with all of its "faults," it is still a heartbreaking and sympathetic yet truthful warts-and-all story. This is what its like to live with a mentally ill drug addict. I'm glad Dee Dee and Vera did not become another Sid Vicious/Nancy Spungen. As creative as Dee Dee was, he was unable to rise above and survive his problems. We have lost a poetic genius.

[Stewart Home · Rating 1 out of 5]

At the end of this book Vera King tells of meeting a psychic who allegedly called up her ex-husband from the dead and writes: "I was requested by Dee Dee to write this book and tell it how it really was..." Well if you believe that you'll probably believe this book is the most accurate rock & roll biography ever written. However if you think that claims like this are complete hokum then you'll probably find Poisoned Heart a tedious and unrewarding read. Even if punk is dead and we are all postmodern zombies (and like me you really dig the early Ramones albums) this memoir is a complete waste of time.

[Ruth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think this is one of the worst books I have ever read....It appears to be written by a teenage girl fawning over a rock star... not an adult woman, who went through physical, mental and emotional abuse by the same rock star.I feel sad that she had no self esteem and that even years later when she wrote this, she was still fawning. It's a sickly sweet book, badly written and its message is a bad one to any woman out there!
Great photos in it though.

[Angela Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know Vera suffered from a brain tumor, and I understand that her memory may be a little rough, but her writing seemed so scattered. Dee Dee came off as difficult and abusive, yet Vera claimed deep down, he was always sensitive. I just left feeling like more could've been written about Dee Dee and Vera.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

.... that Dee Dee was crazed!

[Brenda Perlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poisoned Heart: I Married Dee Dee Ramone (the Ramones Years) A Punk Love Story by Vera Ramone King.

“Dee Dee was a man child, a perpetual Peter Pan, and his way of dealing with life’s problems was not dealing with them at all. Instead, his escape during tough times was taking drugs—self-medication was his answer to everything.”

I loved the inside story to Dee Dee and Vera’s relationship. We could only imagine what it was like to be in her shoes. Their love story is bitter and sweet. I do give Vera credit for tolerating as much as she did. But she was in love. They were in love!

Vera writes a candid memoir of her life with a punk rock idol. It’s like being a spy, going back to their most precious and revealing moments. I wish things could have ended differently for the two...

If only Dee Dee could have received the help he truly needed. Could he have turned his life around?! It doesn’t seem likely. We will never know the answer to that but I am certain from reading this novel that the two loved each other and wanted to be together. Forever is a beautiful goal but this is real life. May Dee Dee Rest In Peace for eternity.

Quote ~

“Dee Dee was a very unique individual who had numerous personas and could adapt different characteristics and make them his own. They say there is a fine line between genius and insanity: Dee Dee lived on the edge, and that is what made him the legend he is today...”

[Mikey James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even if I wasn’t a fan of his music I would consider myself a fan of his writing! Dee Dee Ramone really paints a vivid picture of the stories he tells. He says in his book he would sit on the stoop and talk about his adventures in the Ramones! I can only dream of being sat there listening. This book is an absolute must for all Ramones fans!

[Phillip Mottaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well told story of the Ramones (and Ramones-adjacent folks) from the under-heard group of their girlfriends and wives. Good writing, interesting stories, almost makes you want to listen to Dee Dee's rap album again. And it ends sort of happy, and for the Ramones, that's saying something.

[Margaret Cochran · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good little book but nobody edited it?

[Tifinie · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this book because it about dee dee ramone and his years in the famous punk bands. his ex wife wrote this book about her life with with during his drugs years, bands years. its also a sad story about he loose his battle with drugs. anyone who love the punk and the ramones this book is the best.

[Twyla · Rating 3 out of 5]

What that previous reviewer wrote about a third grader writing a book with lots of name dropping ... perfect description.
Regardless, Vera seems like a sweet/tough lady, and I'm glad she was around for Dee Dee otherwise I'm sure he would have left us much sooner. So there's that.
The part with the psychic at the end was maybe the wildest part of the book.

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great depiction of a life with a punk rock legend.

[Kitt-e-kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. I recommend if you are a Ramones fan.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

not as good as dee dee's book, but still pretty good

[Tiffany Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

sad book about dee but his awesome years with the best punk band the ramones

[Steff Daza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew... Well I guess it´s no surprise, yet I cried a little.

[kevin Guarino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greatness

Thank you for a wonderful trip with you and one of the true greats. I loved the book and all you've done.