DEE DEE, YOURE THE GREATEST! as published in Jari-Pekka's 2nd book "Rock In Peace: Dee Dee And Joey Ramone". 

 

It was dark night on Friday May 17, 2002 in San Diego.  My brother (Javier) and I were going to see our hero Dee Dee Ramone in concert.  We arrived at the venue (Dream Street) around 8:00 PM.  We waited in the parking lot of the venue awaiting Dee Dees arrival.

 

At 9:25 we noticed a group of about 4 people walking towards the front entrance of the venue.  In that group of people was Dee Dee.  I walked towards him and called out his name.  He stopped and turned around, and I asked him if he could sign a few autographs?  He said Sure Man! I took out my concert ticket, my cd covers from his albums and one from the Ramones (Standing In The Spotlight, Zonked, Greatest And Latest, and End Of The Century).  He started to laugh at his Standing In The Spotlight cover, he could not believe that I wanted that cd signed. I then asked Dee Dee if I could take a picture with him.  I took two photos with him. It was now about 9:35 he said he had to go inside.

 

After the last opening band completed their set, I made my way down to the edge of the stage, next to Dee Dees microphone. It was around 11:00 PM and the crowd began to cheer, so then I began to yell out Hey Ho, Lets Go and 1-2-3-4!   The band started to walk up on stage and then I saw Dee Dee.  He picked up his guitar and walked up to his microphone.  I reached out my hand and he shook it.  

 

"This ones called Rockaway Beach 1-2-3-4!"

 

This is setlist for this concert:

01. Rockaway Beach

02. Teenage Lobotomy

03. Commando

04. Sheena Is A Punk Rocker

05. Born To Loose

06. Beat On The Brat

07. Chinese Rock

08. Judy Is Punk

09. Locomotion

10. Cretin Hop

11. Pirate Love

12. Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment

13. I Dont Wanna Go Down To The Basement

14. Loudmouth

15. Time Bomb

16. Listen To My Heart

17. Pills

18. Wart Hog

19. I Wanna Be Sedated

20. Blitzkrieg Bop

21. Pet Sematary (Dedicated to Joey Ramone)

22. I Dont Wanna Walk Around With You

23. I Dont Care

24. One Track Mind

25. Pinhead

 

During the show I yelled out Dee Dee, youre the greatest, I am not sure if he heard me. But I really hope that he did because he was the greatest!  

 

After the show, my brother and I both waited by the backstage door along with many other fans.  We had to wait only a little while for Dee Dee to come out.  A line started to form and we both actually went around the line and got up close to him.  I asked Dee Dee if I could take a picture with him and if I could have an autograph.  He said yes, and both my brother and I took separate pictures with him.  Dee Dee was very kind to everyone he met.  He signed autographs and took photos with people for about 15 minutes, and then he went back to the backstage area.

 

We waited inside the venue for about 30 minutes until we saw Dee Dee and the rest of his band starting to walk out of the backstage area and heading to their van.  There were still people outside the venue near the van and Dee Dee was again kind enough to sign more autographs and take more pictures with fans.  He was there for another 15 minutes.  That is were I had the opportunity to take many photos with him and some standing next to him.  After he spent time with his fans he then started to get inside the van.  I was standing near his van and he looked back and said Do you want me to sign that, he walk over to me and signed a cd cover.

 

I was able to take 7 photos with Dee Dee that night and he signed 6 items for me.  I was very lucky to have met Dee Dee twice in San Diego and both times he was extremely polite to me while he signed autographs and I took pictures with him.  

 

After saying goodbye to Dee Dee that night, I could not ever imagine that it would be the last time I would ever see him alive. 

Dee Dee Ramone was a person who genuinely cared for his music and his fans.

 

Dee Dee youre the greatest and you will always be my hero!

 

I would never had thought that this would be the last time I would see Dee Dee alive.  Sadly 20 days later he passed away. "My troubles have come and gone, I've already had all my fun"