There's still plenty of love for the iconic punk band the Ramones in today's day and age. One fan recently purchased Johnny Ramone's signature Mosrite guitar at auction for $71,825. The rare rock 'n' roll artifact was signed by the guitarist as well. Johnny owned nine other Mosrite axes, Rolling Stone points out.
According to the RR Auction note, Johnny preferred to use the recently sold Mosrite for TV appearances because it was red and camera close-ups would show off the instrument's beauty. The guitar was sold to friend/Ramones driver Gene Frawley in 1990 before he sold it to another party.
"One of just nine Mosrite guitars owned by Johnny Ramone known to exist — it is not surprising that it was able to achieve such an impressive figure," Bobby Livingston of the RR Auction company wrote in a statement.
Johnny owned the guitar for seven years, from 1983 until he sold it. RR Auction called it "an exceedingly rare and historically important piece of music history."
Apparently Johnny's tools are a little more coveted than those belonging to bandmate Dee Dee. The bassist's Fender Precision was grabbed at auction back in October, fetching close to $38,000. Other Ramones items sold at that auction included Joey's handwritten lyrics to "Maria Bartiromo" ($1,886), a pair of his glasses ($12,400), a pair of his leather pants ($7,100), and his leather jacket ($7,000).
The singer's record collection, which featured 97 albums, went up for sale in 2013. It featured titles by Cream, Yes, Carly Simon, Led Zeppelin and Lou Reed.
A handwritten letter by Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia to a Vogue model was up for grabs in addition to Johnny's guitar. The letter raked in $32,500.
The Ramones rose to reluctant fame in the late 1970s. They are often credited as the forefathers of punk rock and are synonymous with the legendary New York club CBGBs, which helped kickstart the careers of other bands with a DIY mentality.
