Joey Ramone: American Heartthrob

Photo credit: Gie Knaeps/Getty Images

Let’s be honest. Joey Ramone wasn’t what you’d call “good-looking.”

But not handsome. He was gangly and awkward and shy and dorky. He hid his long inverted isosceles triangle of a face behind long hair and sunglasses. He wasn’t even a great singer, with a round but nasal voice.

And yet:

On stage, Joey could look frail and a little lost, and then explode into a fierce, urgent Rock & Roll hero.

A person doesn’t change from introvert to extrovert, from shy to fearless, unless there’s something going on under the surface. His depth made him attractive, even fascinating.

His lanky physique and goofy movements made his sudden intensity seem raw, real, and unrehearsed, because it was. His authenticity came across as courageous, and courage is sexy.

I saw The Ramones live only once.

I was off to the side and could see the faces of the people in front looking up at him. Those who weren’t moshing were completely enthralled by Joey. His tone:

…was intimate despite the band’s volume. His voice wasn’t pretty or polished, but it was honest. It felt like he was speaking to you, not shouting at someone three rows behind you. 

Even in songs that could be written off as jokes, like “Pinhead” or “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up,” he dug into topics like alienation and loss of innocence, and his lyrics often sounded like confessions.

But he had it.

Then there was the whole ‘rebel’ thing.

Punk was an en masse rejection of overproduced mainstream music, and Joey was its gentle leader. Rebellion is attractive because it promises freedom and danger, and danger is exciting. Joey added warmth to the danger. He wasn’t cold or cruel; he was kind, self-aware, and a little goofy.

He could be tough without being mean, and tender without being weak.

When Johnny was asked to say something surprising about Joey, he said Joey had a lot of girlfriends. That’s only surprising if you go by looks alone. If we choose to be not so superficial, it’s not surprising at all that women liked Joey.

And not just in the personal relationship sense. Professionally, he worked with a lot of women.

The man who belted loud and fast blasts of Punk loved Pop harmonies, Bubblegum melodies, and especially the girl groups of the early 1960s. It makes sense that he would sing duets with great women singers.

So let’s take a look at those duets. Some people dismissed them as novelty songs, but there’s more happening here. Joey wasn’t just a one-note screamer.

1) “I Got You Babe”

Joey’s first duet was a cover of Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe,” released as a single in early 1982.

His partner is Holly Beth Vincent of Holly & the Italians. I wrote about her and Chrissie Hynde a few months back. Also, Thomas Dolby plays synthesizer. 

Fans loved it as a delicious oddity: a Punk-leaning take on a Pop classic sung by two cool underground favorites. It circulated on radio and tape trading circuits, and fans treated it like a collectible. The contrast between Holly’s New Wave edge against Joey’s earnest, rough delivery made it a fave among listeners who liked personality and attitude more than polish and perfection. It remains a cult single in both artists’ catalogs.

2) “Chop Suey”

“Chop Suey” appeared on the Get Crazy soundtrack album and later as bonus tracks on compilation albums.

It’s more of an ensemble feature than a two-voice love duet, a quirky, campy crossover notable for its New York scene star power. Joey’s lead voice is paired with the wackiness of Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson of the B-52’s. Debbie Harry is on certain versions, too. It was a snapshot of the CBGB downtown community. 

Fans of the New York scene loved hearing these voices collide. Collectors hunted down the soundtrack and bootlegs. ‘Zines often cited it as proof of the fun, playful side of Punk’s social circle. Even though this was more of a group performance than a straight duet, it became a New Wave fan favorite because of who’s on it. 

3) “Standing in My Way”

Debbie Harry recorded “Standing in My Way” without Joey for her Debravation album.

The duet with him appeared on her “producer’s cut” release the following year. The Debravation project had mixed critical reactions. Some critics said it was overproduced, and Harry herself agreed. She said it wasn’t the record she set out to make.

When the versions with Joey surfaced, fans reacted with warm nostalgia. This was a meeting of two CBGB-era icons, and that emotional reunion mattered more than any push from the record label. Devoted fans shared the song in fan-club packages (and later in online archives) treating it as a tender love note in both artists’ catalogs — a reminder of their shared roots and mutual respect.

4) “Punk Boy”

Helen Love was a Welsh indie Pop Punk band that openly idolized Joey.

Their second single was called “(Sheena’s In Love With) Joey Ramoney,” a reference to The Ramones’ song “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker.” Someone brought them to Joey’s attention, and he invited them to play a show in New York.

Their singer’s name was also Helen Love, contributing to some Alice Cooper-style confusion. Joey and Helen dueted on “Punk Boy,” though the album version mix puts Joey on background vocals only, for some reason. The duet version appears on reissues from the mid-1990s onward. 

This song is a pure fan-pleaser. Helen Love’s cult following adored Joey’s guest vocals as a validation of their band’s affection for Punk history. For Ramones fans, it felt playful and warmhearted — Joey appreciatively joining a band that idolized him. It’s a sweet, surprisingly affectionate pairing of Joey’s voice with bright Bubblegum Punk. 

Helen later added backing vocals on Joey’s solo song, “Mr. Punchy.”

5) “Meatball Sandwich”

Youth Gone Mad was a Los Angeles band, but this song sounds more like it came from Seattle.

It was 1996, after all, and everyone was trying to sound like they were from Seattle.

Joey trades lines with Youth Gone Mad singer Lee Marie Riviera on this ditty about the aftereffects of a meatball sandwich, until Pepto Bismol comes to the rescue. It’s not a career highlight by any means, but among Ramones fans and Punk collectors the track is a neat little curiosity.

Since it was released in small physical runs and turns up on obscure compilations, it’s a track that sparks vinyl hunting, bootleg exchanges, and “Did you hear this?” recommendations in fan circles.

6) “Bye Bye Baby”

Joey produced Ronnie Spector’s She Talks to Rainbows EP and duets with her on this version of “Bye Bye Baby.”

The EP wasn’t a big seller, but critics liked Ronnie’s voice and Joey’s thoughtful and respectful production. The Ramones had recorded their own version of “Bye Bye Baby” in 1988, but this is a genuinely touching cross-generational duet. 

There’s something here to like for both fans of classic girl-group Pop and fans of Punk. Dedicated listeners who know Ronnie’s and Joey’s catalogs appreciate the tenderness and mutual respect behind it. Ronnie’s classic glamour blended with Joey’s untrained but sincere voice in a warm late-career collaboration between a 1960s icon and a Punk elder statesman.

It includes another song, “21st Century Girl,” that isn’t exactly a duet but features Joan Jett on harmony vocals and guitar.

None of these duets were meant to be Top 40 smash hits. And they weren’t.

Still, they’re loved for their personality, warmth, and contrast of voices. The mismatch of Joey’s raw Punk tone against the sophistication of smoother or more glamorous voices — a la Lady And The Tramp — made the performances that much more engaging. That’s why they were, and still are, special to his fans.

Joey didn’t try to be other peoples’ idea of the ideal singer.

In duet settings, especially with glamorous partners, the incongruity of imperfection and perfection is far more appealing than studio sheen. The contrast of beauty and roughness, polish and grit, made both voices stand out. People noticed the connection, the emotional give-and-take, and found it very sexy.

Authenticity is cool.

Linda Stein, one of The Ramones’ early managers said, “He was the coolest, because he didn’t try.”

Jeffrey Ross Hyman, better known as Joey Ramone, died of lymphoma at the age of 49 on April 15, 2001 in his beloved New York City.

East 2nd Street in Manhattan, near the former site of CBGB, is now called Joey Ramone Place.

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