Tommy Ramone ( Thomas Erdelyi -1949 - 2014), Hungarian /American, was the drummer for the first four years of the punk rock band "The Ramones". All the members of the Ramones took the name "Ramone", but none of them were related. He was also the longest living member of the original band.

Tommy was born in Budapest, Hungary and he left Hungary with his parents in 1957 to escape the Hungarian Revolution. In 1957 the family moved to America settling in the South Bronx and later to Queens.

In high school he was a guitar player with "The Tangerine Puppets" with John Cummings (who would become the future Johnny Ramone). After school he worked for "the Record Plant" and helped produce "Band of Gypsys".

Tommy was originally the Romone's manager but became the drummer (even thought he had never played drums before) because Joey Ramone (who was the drummer) couldn'd play fast enough. Tommy took the dummer's job because nobody else wanted to play the drums. Joey became the lead singer.

Tommy remained the drummer from 1974-1978 and played on the first three albums (and co-produced them also).

The Ramones, by the way, were influenced by a glam-rock band called the "New York Dolls".

This is Tommy and the Ramones playing "Blitzkrieg Bop" from their first album "Ramones". (all the Ramone songs were short)