Biography
For five years, Richie Ramone held the drum chair as the third percussionist in the groundbreaking punk unit the Ramones, recording three of their 1980s albums while also supplying songwriting and lead vocals on multiple cuts. Born Richard Reinhardt in Passaic, New Jersey, on August 11, 1957, he began formal drum instruction at the age of four. His early listening centered on arena rock, with an initial live experience at Madison Square Garden featuring the unlikely pairing of Elton John and the Allman Brothers Band, before frequent visits to New York City drew him toward the emerging punk and new-wave scenes.
Performing under the name Richard Beau, Reinhardt joined Velveteen, whose lineup included ex-Milk 'n' Cookies bassist Sal Maida, and he appeared on the debut solo outing from B-52's frontman Fred Schneider, titled Fred Schneider and the Shake Society. He entered the Ramones lineup in 1982, replacing Marky Ramone shortly after the release of Subterranean Jungle.
Richie made his recorded debut with the group on 1984's Too Tough to Die, an album widely regarded as a powerful return to form; he also contributed the original composition "Humankind." For the follow-up, 1986's Animal Boy, he wrote the opening track "Somebody Put Something in My Drink," then supplied two further originals—"I Know Better Now" and "I'm Not Jesus"—for 1987's Halfway to Sanity. He additionally took lead vocals on the self-penned B-side "You Can't Say Anything Nice" before departing the band in August 1987 amid creative and financial disagreements, chiefly with guitarist Johnny Ramone.
Although he participated in several solo sessions by Dee Dee Ramone, Richie stepped away from music until 2006, when he performed at the Joey Ramone Birthday Bash, the yearly benefit held in the late singer's memory. In 2007 he reworked selections from the stage musical West Side Story into the orchestral work "Suite for Drums and Orchestra," which received its premiere with the Pasadena Symphony and Pops.
After a low-key return to the stage in 2010 alongside ex-Rattlers vocalist Mickey Leigh—Joey Ramone's brother—Richie mounted a full comeback in 2013, cutting tracks with both the Rock 'n' Roll Rats and the Gobshites while issuing his first solo album, Entitled. The collection featured fresh renditions of songs from his Ramones tenure alongside new material, with Richie handling drums, lead vocals, and production duties throughout the sessions.
Performing under the name Richard Beau, Reinhardt joined Velveteen, whose lineup included ex-Milk 'n' Cookies bassist Sal Maida, and he appeared on the debut solo outing from B-52's frontman Fred Schneider, titled Fred Schneider and the Shake Society. He entered the Ramones lineup in 1982, replacing Marky Ramone shortly after the release of Subterranean Jungle.
Richie made his recorded debut with the group on 1984's Too Tough to Die, an album widely regarded as a powerful return to form; he also contributed the original composition "Humankind." For the follow-up, 1986's Animal Boy, he wrote the opening track "Somebody Put Something in My Drink," then supplied two further originals—"I Know Better Now" and "I'm Not Jesus"—for 1987's Halfway to Sanity. He additionally took lead vocals on the self-penned B-side "You Can't Say Anything Nice" before departing the band in August 1987 amid creative and financial disagreements, chiefly with guitarist Johnny Ramone.
Although he participated in several solo sessions by Dee Dee Ramone, Richie stepped away from music until 2006, when he performed at the Joey Ramone Birthday Bash, the yearly benefit held in the late singer's memory. In 2007 he reworked selections from the stage musical West Side Story into the orchestral work "Suite for Drums and Orchestra," which received its premiere with the Pasadena Symphony and Pops.
After a low-key return to the stage in 2010 alongside ex-Rattlers vocalist Mickey Leigh—Joey Ramone's brother—Richie mounted a full comeback in 2013, cutting tracks with both the Rock 'n' Roll Rats and the Gobshites while issuing his first solo album, Entitled. The collection featured fresh renditions of songs from his Ramones tenure alongside new material, with Richie handling drums, lead vocals, and production duties throughout the sessions.
Albums
Singles
