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Legend of a Rock Star: A Memoir: The Last Testament of Dee Dee Ramone
So you want to be a rock 'n' roll star? Maybe you should listen to what Dee Dee Ramone has to say first. In Legend of a Rock Star the myth of the rock 'n' roll good life is destroyed once and for all. Touring is hell, and Dee Dee should know, after fifteen plus years with the legendary Ramones, he's back on the road with a new band and a new set of nightmares. Riddled with acerbic hilarity, Legend of a Rock Star offers a fantastic, unflinching look at the abysmal underbelly of the rock ‘n' roll dream as Dee Dee and his new brothers tour Europe in a tiny cramped van and try their best not to kill one another. With shifty promoters out to suck him dry, and fans who mean well but just won't leave him alone, all Dee Dee can do is wrestle with his conscience and hope the drugs aren't bad. Written in a fierce chaotic prose uniquely his own, Dee Dee also offers a brutally honest, yet surprisingly touching account of the weeks leading up to and just after the death of friend and longtime bandmate Joey Ramone.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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About the author
Dee Dee Ramone
7 books44 followersDee Dee Ramone, born Douglas Glenn Colvin was a German-American songwriter and bassist, best remembered as a founding member of the punk rock band The Ramones.
Though nearly all of the Ramones' songs were credited equally to all the band members, Dee Dee was the group's most prolific lyricist and songwriter, penning songs such as "53rd & 3rd", "Commando", "Rockaway Beach" and "Poison Heart". He was the bass guitarist for the group from their formation in 1974 through 1989, although at first he wanted to play the guitar. He then left to pursue a short-lived career in hip hop music under the name Dee Dee King. Afterwards, he returned to his punk roots and released three little-known solo albums featuring brand new songs (many were used later on Ramones records). He toured the world playing his 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 struggled with drug addiction for much of his life, especially heroin; he began using drugs as a teenager, and continued to use for the majority of his adult life. He seemed to clean up his act in the early 1990s and to remain clean for most of that decade.
He died from a drug overdose in 2002.
Though nearly all of the Ramones' songs were credited equally to all the band members, Dee Dee was the group's most prolific lyricist and songwriter, penning songs such as "53rd & 3rd", "Commando", "Rockaway Beach" and "Poison Heart". He was the bass guitarist for the group from their formation in 1974 through 1989, although at first he wanted to play the guitar. He then left to pursue a short-lived career in hip hop music under the name Dee Dee King. Afterwards, he returned to his punk roots and released three little-known solo albums featuring brand new songs (many were used later on Ramones records). He toured the world playing his 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 struggled with drug addiction for much of his life, especially heroin; he began using drugs as a teenager, and continued to use for the majority of his adult life. He seemed to clean up his act in the early 1990s and to remain clean for most of that decade.
He died from a drug overdose in 2002.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 16, 2022
This book is essentially the ramblings of a madman in the final months of his life, masquerading as a tour diary. I’m not sure where to begin with this review, but here are some words that first come to mind: sexist, sad, homophobic, deranged, sick, violent, heartbreaking. Dee Dee Ramone will forever be regarded as a punk icon due to his contributions to the legendary Ramones. But damn, can’t say I’ve read a book quite like this.
The prose is chaotic and all over the place – much like Dee Dee. I never knew what insanity was about to come next. The chapters are short and sharp, like a Ramones song. It was a fast read; a train wreck I couldn’t look away from.
Dee Dee is the definition of an unreliable narrator. He tragically didn’t survive until this book’s publication, due to a heroin overdose. The last section of the book is filled with tributes from various people, one of which sums up the book.
“Dee Dee had a lot of difficulty telling reality from fantasy.”
Some sections are blatant fantasy (killing border patrol guards), while others less so - though I sincerely hope most of it was (notably an incident with a cat). Legend of a Rock Star made me feel dirty and nauseous. I can imagine Dee Dee laughing at that, just as he cackled away while writing it in the back of a dirty tour van. I have to admit, I did laugh occasionally, sometimes for the wrong reasons, though I'd inevitably be disgusted mere seconds later.
Dee Dee’s description of hotels on tour was the highlight.
“The furniture in my room is frayed and old and stained with wine, vomit, and tomato sauce. No traveler could be comfortable here. It could only make you feel even more weary to stay in this hotel. Weary of your life.”
I could’ve read his TripAdvisor reviews all day.
“This bear greets you when you enter in there, and he’s holding a menu. The food is fancy. I came here for the breakfast. It was the most exotic one of the tour. There was even a selection of vitamins to choose from.”
But this was a clearly tormented soul, who felt the world was against him, and whose only moments of true clarity appeared to be when discussing music, art and the deaths of friends. There was an impending sense of doom throughout, like Dee Dee’s own death was inevitable, and some tragic reflections to boot.
“I want to hold on to my life. I’m so lucky that I’m still alive.”
A depressing fever dream. The book is riddled with far too many Nazis, too much pedophilia, homophobia and whatever else I’m now trying to erase from memory. It’s perhaps only interesting from a psychology perspective – to experience the mind of a drug-addled artist grappling with their place in life.
Legend of a Rock Star paints a picture of someone struggling to adjust to the next phase of life and entirely caught up in their own myth. I can only hope that Dee Dee is now at peace and rocking out with the rest of the gang.
The prose is chaotic and all over the place – much like Dee Dee. I never knew what insanity was about to come next. The chapters are short and sharp, like a Ramones song. It was a fast read; a train wreck I couldn’t look away from.
Dee Dee is the definition of an unreliable narrator. He tragically didn’t survive until this book’s publication, due to a heroin overdose. The last section of the book is filled with tributes from various people, one of which sums up the book.
“Dee Dee had a lot of difficulty telling reality from fantasy.”
Some sections are blatant fantasy (killing border patrol guards), while others less so - though I sincerely hope most of it was (notably an incident with a cat). Legend of a Rock Star made me feel dirty and nauseous. I can imagine Dee Dee laughing at that, just as he cackled away while writing it in the back of a dirty tour van. I have to admit, I did laugh occasionally, sometimes for the wrong reasons, though I'd inevitably be disgusted mere seconds later.
Dee Dee’s description of hotels on tour was the highlight.
“The furniture in my room is frayed and old and stained with wine, vomit, and tomato sauce. No traveler could be comfortable here. It could only make you feel even more weary to stay in this hotel. Weary of your life.”
I could’ve read his TripAdvisor reviews all day.
“This bear greets you when you enter in there, and he’s holding a menu. The food is fancy. I came here for the breakfast. It was the most exotic one of the tour. There was even a selection of vitamins to choose from.”
But this was a clearly tormented soul, who felt the world was against him, and whose only moments of true clarity appeared to be when discussing music, art and the deaths of friends. There was an impending sense of doom throughout, like Dee Dee’s own death was inevitable, and some tragic reflections to boot.
“I want to hold on to my life. I’m so lucky that I’m still alive.”
A depressing fever dream. The book is riddled with far too many Nazis, too much pedophilia, homophobia and whatever else I’m now trying to erase from memory. It’s perhaps only interesting from a psychology perspective – to experience the mind of a drug-addled artist grappling with their place in life.
Legend of a Rock Star paints a picture of someone struggling to adjust to the next phase of life and entirely caught up in their own myth. I can only hope that Dee Dee is now at peace and rocking out with the rest of the gang.
May 14, 2016
It's hard to tell what is truth and what is an embellishment in this diary of a European tour, but does that really matter? Not so much. It's all entertaining. There are places where it's 100% obvious that it's a flight of fantasy, I'll let you in on a little secret.
The last part of the book are tributes to Dee Dee, as he died from a drug overdose right when this book was about ready to be published, I think. So they added those in, which makes this a 4 star book, rather than a 3 star book. Plus there's a downright hilarious comic ("comic") drawn by Dee Dee about Sid Vicious being kidnapped and taken to a hospital for a lobotomy where every other word is misspelled (adds to the charm), but the drawings are so cute in their crudeness - not 'crude' as in 'lewd', but crude as in it looks like a 3 year old drew them.
Then a discography, just in case you wanted to collect every single thing the Ramones ever put out, including the bootlegs.
The last part of the book are tributes to Dee Dee, as he died from a drug overdose right when this book was about ready to be published, I think. So they added those in, which makes this a 4 star book, rather than a 3 star book. Plus there's a downright hilarious comic ("comic") drawn by Dee Dee about Sid Vicious being kidnapped and taken to a hospital for a lobotomy where every other word is misspelled (adds to the charm), but the drawings are so cute in their crudeness - not 'crude' as in 'lewd', but crude as in it looks like a 3 year old drew them.
Then a discography, just in case you wanted to collect every single thing the Ramones ever put out, including the bootlegs.
October 29, 2007
Dee Dee Ramone kept going to the end. I had tickets for the Glasgow show that he couldn't play (because his tour management were fuckups) that is part of this tour diary. He was the heart and soul of rock and roll, and punk rock too. He wrote the greatest songs and combined romantic idealism with street smarts. "All our songs were negative, I Don't Wanna This, I Don't Wanna That ... Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue was the first positive song we wrote".
I was going to give it four stars, but IT'S DEE DEE RAMONE. He bypasses my critical faculties. If I had a cat, I would call him/her Dee Dee Ramone.
*****
I was going to give it four stars, but IT'S DEE DEE RAMONE. He bypasses my critical faculties. If I had a cat, I would call him/her Dee Dee Ramone.
*****
December 6, 2012
he walked his own a true purist even when he had a chance to reap fortune when the ramones become recognized he stayed with his true punk ideology. maybe the overdose was on purpose it seems like the way to go as in the life he lead. so much courage to live on in that wild way up until age 49. the thing i think he was proud of is he got noticed as an original and legend in the field of music. i certainly admire but could not endure the discomfort of such highs and lows he went through. this is a true testiment of someone following there passion no matter if they play music in a place that stinks of piss or if they have to sleep next to cockroaches and rats. he was truly an artist
June 12, 2007
Truly an enjoyable read. The first half of the book had me trying to resolve which of these scenarios led to the writing of this "memoir":
1) Dee Dee had lost his mind and couldn't tell fantasy from reality
2) Dee Dee was an egomaniac trying to build his own legend
3) Dee Dee was an incredibly creative individual with a sick enough sense of humor to make a tour memoir read like an adventure novel (and to see just how much BS he could feed his readers).
I decided that #3 was clearly the case after reading about Dee Dee and the band having to murder some border guards to get into Norway. Having arrived at that conclusion, I laughed the rest of the way through the book.
1) Dee Dee had lost his mind and couldn't tell fantasy from reality
2) Dee Dee was an egomaniac trying to build his own legend
3) Dee Dee was an incredibly creative individual with a sick enough sense of humor to make a tour memoir read like an adventure novel (and to see just how much BS he could feed his readers).
I decided that #3 was clearly the case after reading about Dee Dee and the band having to murder some border guards to get into Norway. Having arrived at that conclusion, I laughed the rest of the way through the book.
September 5, 2008
Looks to be the final tour diary of Dee Dee Ramone.
Many an outrageous story and massive contradictions abound throughout.
I hate to bag on the guy, but this book was a (short) waste of time.
A better memoir for the man there must be...
Many an outrageous story and massive contradictions abound throughout.
I hate to bag on the guy, but this book was a (short) waste of time.
A better memoir for the man there must be...
December 13, 2009
Oh Dee Dee - always my favorite Ramone. This book does not disappoint. And used "Creep" way less than his first book.
August 20, 2012
Wow. I can see why Dee Dee chose to release this posthumously. A good account of rock n' roll in the seventies and its aftermath on a seemingly gentle soul.
July 13, 2018
It does say on the back of the book that these memoirs blur the lines between fact and fiction. ...but in honesty I think this book does it less so..than say Mark Manning's chapters in the excellent bad wisdom.
Some of the extremes are I think are put in as a humorous respite from what could have been a middling tour diary..as your diaries go this is fine and maybe kim d of shows the closing years of a career can be much like the start with smaller club venues providing the playing spaces.
Just remember it says legend in the front as there is a bit of mythology...however Dee Dee himself is a articulate voice and his thoughts when they co!e through are worth reading.
This is one of the better rock autobiographies I have read in a while and as usual when I read about a musician will lead to me digging out their music from record collection.
Some of the extremes are I think are put in as a humorous respite from what could have been a middling tour diary..as your diaries go this is fine and maybe kim d of shows the closing years of a career can be much like the start with smaller club venues providing the playing spaces.
Just remember it says legend in the front as there is a bit of mythology...however Dee Dee himself is a articulate voice and his thoughts when they co!e through are worth reading.
This is one of the better rock autobiographies I have read in a while and as usual when I read about a musician will lead to me digging out their music from record collection.
December 27, 2019
An excellent read! The books is written by Dee Dee in an almost diary like format documenting his last tour of Europe. Some really funny moments and some, unfortunately sad. I wish I could have seen him on his solo tour or especially with The Ramones, but I never will. But thanks to books like this, it's the closest any of us unlucky fans will ever get.
December 28, 2025
I definitely think if you’ve read Dee Dee’s first book or know anything about it then you know a lot of the premise of this one is also fictionalized.
Despite being less interested in the European tour aspects, what he wrote is still entertaining as hell and at times really did make me chuckle.
Despite being less interested in the European tour aspects, what he wrote is still entertaining as hell and at times really did make me chuckle.
May 6, 2020
Dee Dee was the Greatest!
May 13, 2013
I think one of the testimonials to Dee Dee at the back of the book sums up my thoughts on this book when he says (paraphrasing here) that Dee Dee blurs the line between reality and fantasy. Some very obvious made up elements to the book spoilt it for me.
December 5, 2007
Dee Dee is the epitome of the unreliable narrator.
December 21, 2015
Not much of a Ramones fan, but I enjoyed the writing style. Quite insane.
varying-degrees-of-interest
July 10, 2012Have been told this is exceptionally well-written.
September 25, 2014
It's Dee Dee Ramone... need I say more?!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews