The Ramones-manager Danny Fields: “Joey was clearly a geek. Anybody could look at him and know this kid must have had a rough time. There’s sentiment for him, that this loser-looking person could be a rock star. Also he was the lead singer, and the lead singer is the one who talks to you. I was astonished at the love there was for this person who had spent 90% of his life being extremely unloved. We never spoke very much – it was easy to speak to the other three, but it was hard to speak to Joey, because he was wary of actualising his new-found celebrity into a reflection of the lifetime of contempt he had suffered. But when I got out the camera, he danced for me. I took more wonderful individual pictures of him than any other member of the band. I’m so glad he became what he did, when truck drivers going through New York would wind down their windows and shout “Hey! Joey Ramone!” It was like watching something hatch – this was not a kid with a silver spoon and long, straight, blond hair and a powerful handshake. It was like watching some little bird trying to peck its way out of its shell, and your heart was with him.”

Photo & ©: Danny Fields