On this day in 1957, Richie Ramone (aka Richard Reinhardt), a drummer for The Ramones, was born in Passaic, New Jersey. Reinhardt joined The Ramones in 1983 and played until 1987.
Reinhardt played on Ramones’ albums Too Tough To Die, Animal Boy, and Halfway To Sanity, as well as compilation albums Greatest Hits, Loud, Fast Ramones: Their Toughest Hits, and Weird Tales Of The Ramones.
Reinhardt penned the hit “Somebody Put Something In My Drink,” (featured above), as well as “Smash You,” “Humankind,” “I’m Not Jesus,” “I Know Better Now,” and “(You) Can’t Say Anything Nice.”
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He was also the only Ramones drummer to sing lead vocals, and, according to Reinhardt’s website, frontman Joey Ramone said of the hard-hitter: “[Richie] saved the band as far as I’m concerned. He’s the greatest thing to happen to The Ramones. He put the spirit back in the band.”
In 2011, when The Ramones were awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, all three of the band’s drummers (Tommy, Marky, and Richie) stood beneath the same roof for the first time.
Post-Ramones, Reinhardt has done solo work, played with The Rock N Roll Rats and The Gobshites, and has lent his drumming skills to the classical world when he debuted “Suite For Drums And Orchestra” (based on West Side Story) with the Pasadena Pops.
Enjoy Reinhardt’s gritty, punk drumming with the following videos.