Legend of a Rock Star: A Memoir: The Last Testament of Dee Dee Ramone (Paperback)

~ (Author) "I'M TRYING TO SETTLE DOWN now and enjoy my last morning home for a while in Los Angeles and mentally adjust to what I'm about..." (more)
Key Phrases: lappy family, dee ramone, wanna walk, New York, Blitzkrieg Bop, Rockaway Beach (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; illustrated edition edition (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560253894
• ISBN-13: 978-1560253891
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #240,038 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dee Dee's inimitable voice speaks one last time, January 3, 2003

By	Rebeca Thorvund (San Jose, California United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's great to have Dee Dee back, even if it is just in book form. "Legend of a Rock Star" finds our hero back on the road and cranky as ever. Dee Dee doesn't even want to do this tour, but everyone's on his back so he consents, kicking and screaming every step of the way. The promoters are a pain in the neck, the hotels are creepy, the food [is bad], but the fans still love him and he loves them. No one tells a tale quite like him and you sympathize between giggles.
In the epilogue Dee Dee writes about The Ramones' induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the chaos that ensues trying to round up the band to attend. For all his moaning, it's obvious Dee Dee loved his bandmates and their legacy.
Thunder's Mouth Press did a nice job putting the book together, including lots of photos of Dee Dee, his own handwriting, and his artwork.
I read this book with an underlying sense of sadness, as Dee Dee's voice was so vibrant and alive and he wrote about loving life and having so much that he still wanted to do. I hope he realized that he'd already accomplished so much and we all owe him a debt of gratitude. Love you, Dee Dee.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dee Dee No Dum-Dum, February 16, 2003

By	D. Sean Brickell (gorgeous Virginia Beach, VA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Who would have imagined the soul of one of the world's foremost punk bands was so literate? This book, whilst mixed with both hard-edged rock lifestyle and drug-induced fantasy nonetheless is arguably one of the sincerest perspectives of the real story behind the rock 'n' roll dream. Dee Dee was a journalist. His writing style -- exactly like his songwriting style -- was brief and to-the-point. Anyone who could change the direction of music through a two-minute song can be expected to make his contributions to literature through two-page chapters. The essence of the Ramones' and Dee Dee's success was staying true to your muse. It got bandmates and him into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame. It oughta get this book into your hands. Dee Dee was no dum-dum

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dee Dee Ramone is god.., October 10, 2005

By	Gavin J. Ellicott "The Groover" (Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is not an autobiography!!! or even Biography.. Its a diary of one of his tours plus a little on Joeys death.. Its amusing as Dee Dee always is.
It Also contains a great discography of Ramones and Solo Dee Dee. Any Dee Dee fan will get a laugh out of this.. Enjoyable and worth a read.