In Queens, New York is the Ramones’ birthplace, one of the most influential punk rock groups in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, South America, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, and more.
In 1974, inspired by Paul McCartney of the Beatles, who used the pseudonyms “Paul Ramon” to check into hotels, the band members started using an alias with the surname “Ramone.” They became worldwide known as Joey Ramone (1951–2001), Dee Dee Ramone (1951–2002), Johnny Ramone (1948–2004), and Tommy Ramone (1949–2014).
The band’s original members toured for 22 years and performed in 2,263 concerts, building an unparalleled reputation and musical career. Their constant presence in the media garnered them recognition as Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” and VH1’s ”100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.”
In 1995, the Ramones released the farewell album, ¡Adios Amigos!, to announce that they would be disbanding in 1996. To date, 47 years have passed since their formation and 25 years since their final show, and the fashion industry has kept them alive by celebrating the Ramones’ art and visual imagery.
The band‘s logo was created by Arturo Vega, a New York City artist and a longtime friend of the band members. Vega is the mastermind behind the Ramones T-shirts, which also became their primary source of income.
Kim Kardashian wearing a Ramones t-shirt
In his design, Vega used a black-and-white photograph of his American bald eagle belt buckle. “I saw them as the ultimate all-American band. To me, they reflected the American character in general — an almost childish innocent aggression,” he said. “I thought, ‘The Great Seal of the President of the United States’ would be perfect for the Ramones, with the eagle holding arrows — to symbolize strength and the aggression that would be used against whoever dares to attack us — and an olive branch, offered to those who want to be friendly.”
According to Vega, they “decided to change it a little bit. Instead of the olive branch, we had an apple tree branch since the Ramones were American as apple pie. And since Johnny was such a baseball fanatic, we had the eagle hold a baseball bat instead of the [Great Seal]’s arrows.”
For the logo, Vega also placed the band members’ pseudonyms: Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee, and Tommy; however, these names started changing over the years.
“It’s the American presidential seal—anyone can use it,” said Marky Ramone, band’s former manager and drummer to Classic Rock. “We share the royalties on the t-shirt and the merchandise. A lot of the kids wearing that shirt might not even have heard of the Ramones’ music. I guess if you have the shirt, your curiosity might bring you to buy the music. Whatever, it is a strange phenomenon.”
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