Dee Dee Ramone would have turned 75

Dee Dee Ramone, the songwriter and bassist for the influential punk band The Ramones, would have turned 75 on September 18. Born Douglas Glen Colvin in Fort Lee, Virginia, the musician had significant ties to Germany due to his father's military service and his mother's German heritage.

In his autobiography, ‘Poison Heart’, Ramone detailed his upbringing in various German cities, including Munich, Bad Tölz, Berlin, and Pirmasens. He specifically noted that the idea for both his stage name and the name of The Ramones originated in Pirmasens during the early 1960s. He described the city as a violent and industrial environment shaped by the presence of American soldiers and local residents.