Joey Ramone, lead singer of the Ramones has died

Singer Joey Ramone, the lead singer of US punk rock group the Ramones - which launched an explosion of bands like the Clash and the Sex Pistols, has died in New York at the age of 49.

Ramone, the gangly lead singer with the leather jacket, tinted glasses and permanently-torn jeans, was taken to hospital in March with lymphoma - cancer of the lymph nodes. His death was announced yesterday by Arturo Vega, the Ramones’ long-time artistic director.