Hollywood Forever, that storied final resting place just north of Paramount Studios, is very much associated with the silver screen stars of yore, actors who glittered in movie houses nearly a century ago.
But the Santa Monica Boulevard landmark is not simply about remembering Rudolph Valentino and other luminaries of early cinema: A statue of one of music's biggest legends stands with his guitar in the peaceful place, a robust and vibrant reminder of the life of Johnny Ramone.
The punk rock icon succumbed to prostate cancer in September 2004, and while fans of The Ramones regularly visit his gravesite to flags, flowers, bottles of beer, and other tokens, a large-scale tribute is ahead, and just ahead of the 10th anniversary of his passing.
Linda Ramone remembers her husband alongside musician-filmmaker Rob Zombie, comedian Fred Armisen, Steve Jones of The Sex Pistols, Robby Krieger of The Doors, MC5's Wayne Kramer, and rocker Duff McKagan. The artists, and others, will join the Sunday, Aug. 24 tribute, which begins at 5 p.m.
A screening of Mr. Zombie's "The Devils Rejects" is part of the evening's memory-filled, art-celebratory evening. The musicians in attendance are expected to play some classic Ramones tunes, too, inside the property's Masonic Lodge (a simulcast will be screened for viewers in the cemetery).
Tickets? They're $20 to $75. The beneficiary? The Johnny Ramone Foundation and Dr. David Agus of the USC Keck School of Medicine.
