Dee Dee Ramone Found Dead In His Los Angeles Home

Punk rockers around the world have yet another loss to deal with.

Dee Dee Ramone was found dead yesterday (June 5) in his Hollywood home.

Ramone (whose real name was Douglas Glenn Colvin) was one of the founding members of seminal punk band The Ramones. His death follows last year's passing of lead singer Joey Ramone, who died of lymphoma. Ramone was found by his wife at approximately 8:40 p.m. last night. She then called the police, who sent paramedics to the house. Ramone was pronounced dead at the scene. The exact cause of Ramone's death has yet to be determined, but it is suspected by the coroner's office to be a drug overdose.

The Ramones formed in 1974 in Forest Hills, New York. Original members included guitarist Johnny Ramone (John Cummings), drummer Tommy Ramone (Tom Erdelyi) and singer Joey Ramone (Jeffrey Hyman). The Ramones are credited with pioneering the punk movement in New York City during the late '70s, creating a scene around clubs such as CBGB, which has become a mecca for punkers looking to find their roots.

Dee Dee left the band in 1989 to launch a rap career as Dee Dee King. He was replaced in the Ramones by C.J. Ramone (Christopher John Ward). Dee Dee returned to The Ramones lineup in the '90s and appeared on the Ramones' last album Adios Amigos. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday June 6 to determine the exact cause of death. Dee Dee Ramone was 50 years old.